Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
USE CASH TO BRIDGE OUR FUNDING GAP
Mallon plea to Bojo after Scotland link scrapped
THE Infrastructure Minister has written to Boris Johnson calling on him to give Stormont the funds for his scrapped bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Nichola Mallon said the Prime Minister’s shelved investment should be redirected to public services.
It follows reports that proposals for a bridge or tunnel have been ruled out due to forecasted costs and engineering challenges.
A review of connections between different parts of the UK by transport expert Sir Peter Hendy concluded the project was not currently viable.
A Government source told the Daily Telegraph Sir Peter found “it would be technically very challenging”.
Ms Mallon dismissed the “Boris Bridge” or tunnel idea as a “Tory vanity project”.
She said it is “not only technically unworkable but is a gross misuse of public money”.
The minister added: “Now this issue is set to be put to bed, I have today sent a memo to the Prime Minister calling for this promised investment to be provided to the North so it can be used to enhance our public services to ensure we can deliver what our citizens and communities deserve.
“It’s long past time the promises of investment and delivery in New Decade New Approach materialised.”
Mr Johnson has been a vocal supporter of a LETTER fixed link between
Britain and Northern Ireland,
which some experts have estimated could cost £20billion. Potential routes for a link have been suggested – from Portpatrick to Larne, or near Campbeltown to the Antrim coast.
While some including the DUP have been supportive of the idea, others have labelled it unfeasible and too costly.
Earlier this year Mr Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings dismissed the proposal as he criticised his former boss’s priorities.
Mr Cummings told the BBC: “The Prime Minister’s only agenda is, buy more trains, buy more buses, have more bikes and build the world’s most stupid tunnel to Ireland. That’s it.”
The UK Government’s Department for Transport said the Union Connectivity Review would be “published shortly” and it would not comment on “speculation”.