Sunak confirms U-turn as he cancels rest of HS2 project

The Conservative government has confirmed that it is to axe the HS2 line between Birmingham and Manchester.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the move in his keynote speech at the Tory Party conference in Manchester on Wednesday lunchtime (October 4), putting to an end days of speculation and rumour. He said: “I am ending this long running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project.”

Sunak announced more money for local lines in the north, calling it “Network North”, upgrading the line between Birmingham and Manchester, but this is unlikely to persuade many in the region that they haven’t been left behind in the transport stakes. He also said the £36bn saved by scrapping the line would be spent on “hundreds” of road and bus projects.

He said: “We need better transport connections in the north – a new Network North. This will be our priority, our focus, our project. HS2 is a perfect example of the old consensus. I say to those that backed the process in the first place that the facts have changed, and the best thing to do is have the courage to change direction.”

He added: “I say this to Andy Street: I know we have different views on Hs2 , but we can work together to make this work and have more capacity between London, Birmingham and Manchester.

“I think our plan is simply a better long-term plan of investment of £36bn of taxpayer’s money.”

Street, the West Midlands Mayor, said earlier in the week that he “wouldn’t let HS2 go without a fight”.

As we went to press, he was still to publish his response.

Meanwhile, the Labour Group on Birmingham City Council, councillor John Cotton said in a statement: “This is yet another kick in the teeth for Birmingham.

“This short-sighted decision will hold back our city and region for decades. The Conservatives have run down our country for the last 13 years, and the cancellation of HS2 is the latest in a line of terrible decisions for the UK’s long-term future.”

Corin Crane, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, reacted saying the move was an opportunity wasted and that the decision is the “opposite of levelling up.”

He said: “This is an incredibly frustrating decision for businesses across the Midlands and the North of England and the fact that this two-week debate about whether it was speculation or not has been played out in public, is frankly insulting.

“Hundreds of thousands of hours have been wasted planning this project, community-changing regeneration plans are now not feasible along the route, businesses and residents have already been moved to clear the way for a line that will never appear and overseas investors will be looking at the UK in bewilderment.

“Now, we must start another decades-long planning process to get our infrastructure reform started and businesses across our region will continue to see their trucks stuck on motorways with no capacity for freight and their staff stuck on trains with no more capacity for passengers. This is the opposite of levelling up.”#

Sir John Peace, chairman of Midlands Connect, said: “We are disappointed and disheartened by the HS2 announcement.

“We must not start from scratch, we must work at pace to deliver HS2 Phase 1 all the way to Euston. There are also lessons to be learnt from the HS2 story so far.

“The Midlands Rail Hub and road programmes including the A5 which have been announced today resonate with us, these are our transformational East-West priorities for the region, which we recommended and have been progressing with Government.

“We are now calling for more detail on timescales and plan of action, and asking for a high-level urgent meeting with ministers, to ensure these plans and the benefits for the Midlands are delivered as quickly as possible.

“We will now work, like we always do, cross-party and in an open and collaborative way with all involved.”