‘Levelling up, my a***’: Andy Burnham blasts government for eyeing cuts to HS2 northern phase

Business group say cutting phase 2 of line would seriously damage government relationship with enterprise

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Northern leaders have reacted with fury after revelations that Rishi Sunak is considering making further cuts to HS2 north of Birmingham.

Greater Manchester Andy Burnham accused ministers of "making the north pay for their failure" amid concerns that all or part of the northern section of the project could be canned.

The high-speed railway, which is currently under construction between London and Birmingham, has already had its leg to Leeds cut and faces uncertainty about its approach into central London.

The line has been beset by delays and rising costs and Mr Sunak and his chancellor Jeremy Hunt are understood to have reviewed £30bn potential "savings" that could be made by scrapping parts of it at a meeting on No.10 on Tuesday.

Reacting the The Independent's revelation on Thursday morning Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham said ministers saw northern passengers as "second-class citizens" and derided repeated Tory promises to invest in the region.

"It’s coming up 10 years since [George] Osborne’s 'Northern Powerhouse' speech and the Tories are set to scrap the last of his rail pledges," he said.

"The result? The southern half of England gets a modern rail system and the North left with Victorian infrastructure. Levelling up? My a**e."

He added: "Government is guilty of gross mismanagement of HS2 and of making the North pay for their failure. Once again, passengers here are seen as second-class citizens.

"It’s time for an honest conversation about what they WILL do for the North and let voters decide if it’s enough.

"The North-South divide is no accident. It’s national policy. It’s only by waking up to that fact that we can begin to understand the level of change Westminster, Whitehall and our entire political system needs."

HS2 is expected to slash north-south intercity journey times and also release vast amounts of capacity for local train services on existing lines.

The project is currently set to be completed in stages from 2029 onwards, though it was originally due to open in 2026.

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a group representing businesses in the north of England, said any decision to curtail the project any further "would do serious damage to the government’s relationship with the business community" in the north and further afield.

“Cancelling Phase 2b would also make it impossible to improve east-west connectivity across the North as promised in the Integrated Rail plan. It would remove the most critical remaining section of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport which is vital for getting passengers from Liverpool across the Pennines," he said.

“Given that Phase 1, the most expensive bit of the route, is already underway and that the strongest benefit-cost ratios are found in the Northern sections, it makes no sense to stop now.

“Our country’s inability to deliver infrastructure, whether it’s hospitals or rail lines, is a huge problem for raising productivity long-term and our global reputation. The shadow Chancellor has already committed to treating to day to day spending differently to capital spending to support long-term economic growth - the government should do the same.”

Services on HS2 are meant to run into the north of England (HS2)

Labour has pledged to build the line in full if it is elected. Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "The Conservatives crashed the economy and now they want the north to pay the price.

"Their chaotic mismanagement has hit jobs, harmed growth, and cost taxpayers even more. Labour will call time on 13 years of failure, and deliver the infrastructure fit for the century ahead."

A spokesperson for the High Speed Rail Group, an industry group, said: “Once again the 30,000 men and women who are working every day to deliver HS2 will return home to find further speculation about whether they will be allowed to complete the job they have started.

“Were phase 2 to be cancelled it would be a disaster for the North and the Midlands. After 13 years during which the Government has promoted the project, it would also be the ultimate U-turn.

“The government needs to kill the speculation and make its intentions clear, and it ought to commit clearly and unambiguously to delivering the project as planned. The 30,000 people delivering HS2 deserve this. Our future generations deserve this. The North and Midlands deserve this.”

Asked about the meeting between Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt, a government spokesperson said: “You would expect No 10 and the Treasury to regularly discuss large infrastructure projects.

“Spades are already in the ground on the HS2 programme, and we remain focused on delivering that.”

Government sources pointed to comments by Treasury minister John Glen in the Commons last week where he said the government remains “fully committed to delivering HS2 and the integrated rail plan”.

He added: “This is a long-term investment that will bring our biggest cities closer to each other. It will boost productivity, and will provide a low-carbon alternative to cars and planes for many decades to come.”