Plans derailed again...

OLIVER COPPARD, Mayor of South Yorkshire

Earlier this year the government announced a competition to decide where to establish the headquarters of Great British Railways – the company established to run the rail network.

Here in South Yorkshire, we worked hard to put in a strong bid for those headquarters to be built, so that the railways across Great Britain would have been run from a base in our region. And yet last week it was announced that the process may not go forward.

For many people who use our railways it will feel all too familiar – it’s been delayed, it’s no longer clear when it might arrive, and there’s a strong likelihood the whole thing will be cancelled.

Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I am shocked that the government would ask us to invest so much time, effort and energy investing in a bid for Great British Railways, but then simply pull the project with no notice, warning or communication.

The announcement from the government on Great British Railways would be bad enough at any time, but coming so soon after their refusal to properly support our efforts to try and save Doncaster Sheffield Airport it is a damning indictment of this government’s commitment to levelling-up. This chaotic approach to governing is causing a huge amount of damage to our region and our country. They must do better.