Rishi Sunak is finally set to scrap the Manchester leg of HS2 – 17 first-class responses
After weeks of speculation about its future, Rishi Sunak is set finally to confirm that the northern leg of HS2 to Manchester will be scrapped.
Sunak has for days been refusing to comment on the multibillion pound rail project’s future, preferring to wait until the Tory party conference – in Manchester – to confirm its fate.
BREAKING: Rishi Sunak set to confirm he is scrapping the Northern leg of HS2 to Manchester at the Tory party conference in the city – very tricky optics for government
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) October 2, 2023
Well played, PM! Another winner!
Here’s Sunak when he was asked about it by Laura Kuenssberg 24 hours ago.
– Will HS2 come to Manchester?
– We’ve got spades in the ground, I’m not going to comment on speculation.
– I’m not asking you about speculation. You’re the Prime Minister. This is your decision.
– We’ve got spades in the ground, I’m not going to comment on speculation.— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) October 1, 2023
Spades in the ground, then. Just not in the ground anywhere near Manchester.
And we’ve read all the reaction, well quite a lot of it, and here are our favourite responses so far.
1.
So to summarise, the Government has just announced plans to scrap the biggest public transport infrastructure project planned for any Northern city, while taking part in its conference in that same city, which its Chancellor chose to travel to by plane. https://t.co/x45OU9DGhu
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 2, 2023
2.
Look, even in The Thick of It, they didn’t host a party conference in Manchester while scrapping a major public transport connection to Manchester
— Henry Mance (@henrymance) October 2, 2023
3.
goodnight sweet prince x pic.twitter.com/XKxuQe1jnc
— Lucy (@LMAsaysno) October 2, 2023
4.
Utter, utter vandalism. A betrayal of the environment, of the country’s economic future, of the promise to level up, and of the basic expectation that British governments should be able to manage infrastructure projects. https://t.co/6AXbyTlE5F
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) October 2, 2023
5.
spads in the ground https://t.co/TaUOGAkO7F
— Neil Gibbons (@neilgibbons) October 2, 2023
6.
Breaking: how that Manchester HS2 terminal will look: pic.twitter.com/6k1FanND4v
— Rob B (@RobBfromDerby) October 2, 2023
7.
Hope they spend the HS2 money on a Ladder to Heaven so we can see Captain Tom and Princess Diana again ❤️
— Von Mooms (@Danny_McMoomins) October 2, 2023
8.
Proposing a new rule where any large infrastructure projects that connect to London have to start at the other end and work their way back https://t.co/ITaHsFBMmx
— Euan Yours (@EuanYours) October 2, 2023
9.
SHOCKER: HS2 northern leg scrapped. #CPC23
We called it months ago:
— ʟᴀʀʀʏ & ᴘᴀᴜʟ (@larryandpaul) October 2, 2023