MONEY saved by scrapping a high-speed rail link to Manchester will be spent on repairing roads in London – sparking disbelief from MPs in the north of England.
The Department for Transport announced on Wednesday that £235 million has been pledged to every London borough with money recouped after HS2’s northern leg was scrapped – as part of its “Network North” project.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: "'Network North' seems to include everywhere - except the north."
The money will be split between each of London’s 32 boroughs and Transport for London over 11 years – with £75m committed for next year.
Andrew Gwynne, a Labour MP for Manchester, said the Government was “extracting the urine”.
He said: “Whilst I have no doubt London's roads (like everywhere else's) need investment after 13 years of Tory cuts, let's remember this was Crewe-Manchester's rail funding.
"To badge this as a 'Network North' project is extracting the urine in a big way. Cheers Rishi!"
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner added: “Are they for real?”
The Government has redirected £8.3 billion saved through the decision to scrap HS2 to improving roads throughout England.
Rishi Sunak announced the project would be scrapped at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester earlier this year.
He claimed at the time that “every single penny” of the £36bn saved would be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the north and the Midlands, and across the country".
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “This government is on the side of drivers and is investing £235m to improve and repair London’s roads, part of the biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements.
“This funding is part of a long-term, 11-year plan to ensure road users across London have smoother, faster and safer journeys by using redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
London has some of the lowest rates of car ownership in the UK, in part because of its extensive public transport system.
