The government has been mocked by the opposition after celebrating a new “Network North” transport project – that will revamp roads in the south of the country.
The Department for Transport posted a graphic on X this morning, celebrating how Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel the second phase of HS2 would allow more money to be spent on other infrastructure projects under the “Network North” banner.
But the example it gave was the use of £235m on improving roads in London.
The minister for the capital, Greg Hands, and Kensington MP Felicity Buchan, also appeared to miss the contradiction, posting to celebrate the “good news” for the capital.
However, others were quick to point it out to them – including Countdown star and broadcaster Carol Vorderman, who suggested “someone send them a map”.
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Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, posted: “‘Network North’ seems to include everywhere – except the North.”
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Shadow minister and Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne added: “Whilst I have no doubt London’s roads (like everywhere else’s) need investment after 13 years of Tory cuts, let’s remember this was Crewe-Manchester’s rail funding.
“To badge this as a ‘Network North’ project is extracting the urine in a big way. Cheers Rishi!”
Labour’s Bolton South East MP, Yasmin Qureshi, posted that she “had to check it wasn’t a parody”, while the SNP’s David Linden posted sarcastically: “FINALLY! Some funding for London. Normally so overlooked.”
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At the Conservative Party conference in October, Mr Sunak said scrapping HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester would free up £36bn, and “every single penny” would be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, and across the country”.
But he said the government’s new “focus” would be on “Network North”, which would “join up our great towns and cities in the North and the Midlands”.
The Department for Transport has been contacted for comment.
