Dithering Tory ministers have been accused of failing taxpayers after they announced the HS2 rail line will be delayed.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the section of track between Birmingham and Crewe will be built two years later than planned.
He blamed rising costs for the delay, but Labour slammed the Tories’ “chronic indecision” that will “cost taxpayers and the North”.
The Cabinet Minister said the coronavirus pandemic and Vladimir Putin had caused the latest setback to the high speed line, which was originally planned to run from London Euston to Manchester and Leeds via Birmingham.
The Lower Thames Crossing, a road tunnel that will connect Essex and Kent, has also been delayed by two years.
Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “Tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in economic growth are dependent on this project.”
“The North is yet again being asked to pay the price for staggering Conservative failure.
“Conservative chaos and chronic indecision is holding back jobs, growth and costing the taxpayer.
“This is the biggest project in Europe and delays pile costs up in the long-run - Ministers now need to come clean on precisely how much their indecision will cost taxpayers and the North.”
John Foster of the Confederation of British Industry said: “Delays to projects may create short-term savings, but they can ultimately lead to higher overall costs and slow down the UK’s transition to a better, faster and greener transport network.”
In a written ministerial statement, Mr Harper insisted that the Government is "committed" to delivering the high-speed rail link between Birmingham and Crewe.
But he added: "We have seen significant inflationary pressure and increased project costs, and so we will rephase construction by two years, with an aim to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the North West as soon as possible after accounting for the delay in construction."
Earlier today Tory MP Michael Fabriacant, whose constituency contains around 19 miles of the HS2 route, said: "I shall be asking the Government whether this delay marks the end of HS2 north of Birmingham for good and whether HS2 will make good the damage already done in southern Staffordshire.
"Simply saying the project is delayed is not good enough. The area has been blighted by whole fields turned into construction sites.
Pointing to damage in the area, he said: "Will these sites now be abandoned or completed? If they are to be abandoned, will there be remedial work to restore the countryside? And what of compensation for my constituents who have had their lives and businesses wrecked by the construction work?"
Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said any decision to delay part of the route represents "another betrayal of the Midlands and the North, making a mockery of the Government's empty promises to level up the UK economy".
The Labour councillor said in a video message posted on Twitter: "HS2 has the potential to deliver economic growth across the country, but it is being undermined by the Government at every turn.
"We will only truly see the full benefits of HS2 when Birmingham and the Midlands are at the very heart of a national network.
"So another delay represents a massive blow to this once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-balance the UK economy."
In October last year, he said the forecast for when HS2's phases would be complete remained within planned ranges.
That involved Phase One - connecting London with Birmingham - opening between 2029 and 2033.
Services will initially start and end at Old Oak Common, west London, due to delays at Euston.
Mr Harper previously said Phase 2a - extending the line from Birmingham to Crewe - was "on track" to be completed between 2030 and 2034.
The date range for the western leg of Phase 2b - connecting Crewe with Manchester - remained between 2035 and 2041, the Cabinet minister added.
The eastern leg of this phase will run from the West Midlands to the East Midlands. A planned extension to Leeds was shelved in November 2021.
Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.
