Leaders of Britain’s biggest cities outside London have urged Labour to get behind the North-South high speed rail line - as the Government prepares for a Parliamentary battle which could extend up to the next election.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, met David Cameron in Downing Street to back the rail line known as HS2, alongside council leaders and mayors from Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
They handed over a letter urging Labour to unite with the Government to back the rail line when legislation allowing the first phase to be built is presented to Parliament next week.
READ MORE: {}
The High Speed Rail Bill, an unusual type of legislation known as a hybrid bill, will lead to a series of evidence sessions in the Commons beginning next year, in which people affected by the new line will be allowed to argue for changes to the route or higher compensation.
At the same time, Mr Cameron faces pressure from some Conservative backbenchers who oppose the line, while Labour’s official position is unclear.
The line, which could cost £28.2 billion with £14.4 billion of contingency funding, was originally a Labour project launched by the last Government. But Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has said a future Labour government could scrap the scheme and spend the money on housing instead.
Council leaders also urged the Prime Minister to ensure the planned high speed rail line extends to all of Britain’s major cities and on to Scotland.
The North-South line will run from London to Birmingham in the first phase, before a second phase extending it to Manchester and Leeds is built. Trains will continue to Darlington and Newcastle, but only running at standard speeds north of York.
Most Read
City leaders want the Government to look at extending the line to Newcastle, and on to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The letter said: “The purpose of this document is to express unwavering support for High Speed 2, to call on the Coalition Government and Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition to unite and press on with the Hybrid Bill for phase 1 of the project, and to urge the Government to deliver with all speed final plans for phase 2. But our ambition should not stop there and we also want to explore with Government the costs and benefits of expanding a network that extends High Speed 2 to all of the great cities of our country.”
Sir Albert said: “High Speed 2 is an essential step toward a 21st the whole of the 海角视频. We see no credible alternative to achieving our wider economic vision.
“The 海角视频 lags behind the competition in its infrastructure. The existing rail network no longer has the capacity to support the increased levels of demand for rail travel that there will be within the next decade.
“Upgrades will not do, and will instead cause years of delays and economic damage not just for cities, but for the 海角视频 as a whole. Understanding the benefits this will bring is of course essential, but we believe the case has been made for this investment, which is roughly the same annual sum as that spent on Crossrail in London, and will connect all the 海角视频’s cities as a single economic powerhouse”.
Mr Cameron attacked Labour for failing to make it clear whether it supports the line. He said: “I was really pleased to welcome Sir Albert Bore – leader of Birmingham City Council - to Downing Street to talk about HS2. Although he’s from a different party to me, we’re both in agreement on this: a high speed North-South railway is vital for the future of Birmingham.
"This shouldn’t be about politics – it’s something we can all support. This new railway will bring huge benefits to Birmingham: it’ll attract new businesses, create jobs and add as much as £3 billion to the economy here. It’ll link our cities up better, cut journey times and ease congestion. Put simply, if it’s easier and quicker to get here, firms are more likely to set up shop.
Don’t miss
"The only people who don’t get this are Ed Miliband and Ed Balls. They seem to care less about the future of Birmingham than playing political games. One day they say they’re right behind this new railway, the next they say they’re thinking about spending the money on something else. They need to be clear about whether or not they support HS2.
"In recent months we’ve seen lots of encouraging signs that the economy is turning a corner. There are 25,000 more people are in work in the West Midlands compared to 2010 – and 25,000 new businesses too. What’s important now is that we push on and finish the job we started. A new North-South line is a critical part of that plan, a long term decision we’ve got to take. It’s time to stop the political bickering and get this railway built."