Northern HS2 set to miss election deadline
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has admitted that the HS2 legislation won’t be through parliament before the next election.
Supporters of the £43bn project to the north of England had hoped the legislation would become law prior to the election, so would not get caught up in party political politics in the election campaign.
“You have to accept that certain people, certain constituencies are heavily impacted by a piece of national infrastructure,” said McLoughlin.
Cross-party support has begun to waver in recent months, with senior Labour figures voicing concerns about the project’s costs. Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has remarked that the party would review the scheme if elected to government.
Government sources accept that the project may stall unless it has stronger national and cross-party backing, with northern cities and regions benefiting in the foreseeable future. Under current plans, phase one between London and Birmingham will not open for passengers until 2026. Phase two, from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, would follow in 2033.
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