Rishi Sunak set to confirm scrapping of Manchester leg of HS2
Rishi Sunak is set to confirm he is scrapping the northern leg of HS2 to Manchester at the Conservative conference in the city despite a furious response and Tory fears it will fatally undermine the party’s commitment to levelling up.
Downing Street did not deny reports that the prime minister was planning to axe the multibillion-pound project and reallocate some of the funding to transport projects across the north.
He is also expected to announce that the high speed line will end on the outskirts of London, with trains stopping at Old Oak Common rather than six miles away in Euston.
Sunak is expected to hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday in Manchester to formally sign off the plans.
The Guardian revealed last week that Sunak was planning to announce a series of transport improvements, including so-called Northern Powerhouse Rail and funding the repair of Britain’s road network by filling potholes, as he seeks to limit the political fallout over the future of HS2.
Senior rail industry insiders have said it would be “madness” to cancel the multibillion-pound HS2 scheme, while business groups have raised questions about the government’s commitment to major infrastructure projects.
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However, it has estimated that costs have already soared past £100bn, even though the Leeds leg has already been scrapped.