MPs stepping up pressure for transport deal
MOMENTUM IS growing behind the campaign to secure new transport powers for authorities in Yorkshire after 37 MPs rallied behind calls for the region to “take control” of its destiny.
Writing to the Transport Secretary amid the backlash over plans to scrap local rail electrification schemes, the Labour MPs have challenged Ministers to give Northern leaders the resources they need to deliver a transport network “fit for the 21st century”.
Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald told
The Yorkshire Post that people in Yorkshire “are justifiably angry”.
He said: “The North of England isn’t asking for special treatment, only that it receives comparable levels of investment to London and the South-East.”
LABOUR MPS have added their voices to calls for the region to receive greater control over transport funding amid the ongoing backlash to the Government’s decision to cancel long-awaited rail upgrades.
Writing to Secretary of State Chris Grayling, the group of Yorkshire and Humber MPs call on Ministers to “empower the North” in order to allow local leaders to deliver a transport system “fit for the 21st century”.
The letter follows an outpouring of anger in the region after the Government announced in July that it was scrapping the delayed electrification of the London to Sheffield line and cast doubt on upgrades to the trans-Pennine route.
It also comes off the back of an article Mr Grayling wrote in The
Yorkshire Post, in which he called for the North to “take control” and “[step] up to shape its own transport destiny”.
Published ahead of a highprofile transport summit on Wednesday, the Minister’s comments only succeeded in sparking further outrage among local politicians, who accused Mr Grayling of passing the buck for the Government’s failures. It also gave rise to inevitable calls for Ministers to grant local authorities “the powers and the resources” they would need to meet his challenge.
This appeal has now been taken up by the MPs, as they write to Mr Grayling to demand an end to years of “warm words” and “broken promises” on transport investment.
“Investing in reliable, affordable transport is essential for delivering productivity and growth, rebalancing the economy and tackling climate change,” the group writes. “[But] underinvestment in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North ... continues to undermine our economic prosperity.
“Let us be very clear – the North stands ready to sort out its own transport priorities, as you suggest. But we must have your support.
“We need the requisite powers and funding from central government, something you have resolutely refused to release from your grip.” Citing Mr Grayling’s article in
The Yorkshire Post, they continue: “You made the point that the north of England would be among the 10th biggest economies in Europe if it were a separate nation. But we are not a separate nation and you hold the keys to unlocking our potential and our future.
“We need no more delays. No more broken promises. No more warm words. Give us the investment, give us devolution, empower the North and we will deliver transport fit for the 21st century.”
The letter comes as a petition demanding an end to the funding gap between London and the North passes 84,000 signatures. The IPPR North campaign, which calls for £59bn “catch-up cash” for the region, has gained more than 18,000 new supporters since the end of last week.
Responding to the MPs’ letter, a spokesman for the Department for Transport said the Government “remains 100 per cent committed to delivering transport improvements across all areas of the country”.
“We are already investing over £13bn in the North of England’s transport infrastructure to deliver faster journeys and increased capacity. We are also developing options to deliver drastically improved journeys on the transPennine route from 2022
“And we are committed to Northern Powerhouse Rail, as set out in the manifesto, that is why we have invested £60m for Transport for the North to take the development of the scheme forward.”