The government has been mocked by the Opposition after celebrating a new “Network North” transport project – that will revamp roads in the south of the country.
The Department for Transport posted a graphic on X this morning, celebrating how Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel the second phase of HS2 would allow more money to be spent on other infrastructure projects under the “Network North” banner.
But the example it gave was the use of £235m on improving roads in London.
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The minister for the capital, Greg Hands, and Kensington MP Felicity Buchan, also appeared to miss the contradiction, posting to celebrate the “good news” for the capital.
However, others were quick to point it out to them – including Countdown star and broadcaster Carol Vorderman, who suggested “someone send them a map”.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, told Sky News: “While passengers are facing Christmas chaos on overcrowded, delayed and cancelled trains, it is an extra kick in the teeth that this government is crowing about cancelling the biggest rail infrastructure investment in the North in a generation.
“When Rishi Sunak went to Manchester to cancel the northern leg of HS2 he claimed he would ‘join up our great towns and cities in the North and the Midlands’. Now he is promising to repair roads in London as part of a ‘Network North’, showing just how ludicrously out of touch he is.”
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Other politicians vented their frustrations, with Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, posting: “‘Network North’ seems to include everywhere – except the North.”
Shadow minister and Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne wrote: “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 Bolton South East MP, Yasmin Qureshi, posted that she “had to check it wasn’t a parody”, while the SNP’s David Linden posted sarcastically: “FINALLY! Some funding for London. Normally so overlooked.”
And in a similar vein, former Liberal Democrat leader and Cumbrian MP Tim Farron said: “Great to see the rural northern village of London finally getting the levelling up funding it deserves.”
At the Conservative Party conference in October, Mr Sunak said scrapping HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester would free up £36bn, and “every single penny” would be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, and across the country”.
But he said the government’s new “focus” would be on “Network North”, which would “join up our great towns and cities in the North and the Midlands”.
A source close to Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Every penny of the £19.8bn committed to HS2 Phase 2 in the North will be reinvested in transport across the North.
“Every penny of the £9.6bn committed to the Midlands leg will be reinvested in transport projects across the Midlands.
“And the £6.5bn saved from our new approach to delivering Euston will be reinvested in transport projects across every other region of the country.”
They added: “£8.3bn is being spent on resurfacing roads across England, and today we’re announcing the £235m share London is getting.
“This is all part of the overall Network North plan – better journeys for everyone across the country, with the lion’s share of investment in the North and Midlands – and this £235m is part of the £6.5bn saved from delivering Euston differently.”
The Department for Transport has been contacted for comment.
