23 September 2023 , 21:30
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Rishi Sunak faced ridicule over plans to ditch HS2 rail links - after it emerged some 'high speed' services could end up slower than regular trains.
The Prime Minister is said to be considering scrapping the planned HS2 link from Birmingham to Manchester and the link to London’s Euston Station - meaning the route would terminate in Old Oak Common, a suburban station in West London.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has warned that costs on HS2 have got out of control and Rishi Sunak has pointedly declined to publicly back the Manchester leg.
Sir John Armitt, Government’s own infrastructure tsar yesterday said cancelling the leg of HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester would be a “tragedy.”
“If we don't continue, what are we saying to the rest of the world?,” he said.
HS2 in chaos as Tories won't deny £60bn rail scheme may not run to London Euston
“What are we saying to all those investors that we want to bring into the UK? Here's a country which sets itself ambitions and then runs away when it starts to see some some challenges. We have to meet the challenges."
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned scrapping the HS2 link to Euston station would mean some journeys on “high speed” services would take longer to get to the centre of the Capital than regular trains.
In a letter to Mr Sunak, he wrote: “To get to a central London location such as Euston, on top of the 42 minute journey time from Birmingham, the connection with the Elizabeth Line and Northern Line would take roughly 30 mins and two changes, with a forecast of at least a 10 minute extra delay at [HS2 terminus] Old Oak Common as people queue due to a lack of additional trains.
“This best case journey time of 1 hour and 22 minutes is already one minute longer than the existing train time from Birmingham to Euston, around 1 hour and 21 minutes.”
...it'll take how long? (PA)Former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson both warned Mr Sunak against scrapping the route - with Mr Johnson saying the move would be “desperate” and “Treasury-driven nonsense.”
It comes as Mr Sunak’s team hatched a plan to reset his Premiership ahead of next week’s Conservative Party conference.
Desperate to rescue his plummeting poll numbers, the plan would see sweeping policy changes in a bid to counter Labour painting him as “Inaction Man.”
Under the plan to “let Rishi be Rishi”, No10 are said to want him to spend less time responding to events, and break out of the shadow of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.
But while No10 was hopeful of a poll bounce after his bonfire of Net Zero policies, a YouGov survey published on Friday found his personal approval rating at its lowest ever level.
Mr Sunak is also said to be considering a raft of proposals he made during his leadership campaign, including forcing children to study Maths until 18 and charging patients £10 if they miss GP appointments.
HS2 boss says delays among options being explored to curb rising costs
Both plans were met with widespread anger when they were floated last year, when Mr Sunak lost the Tory leadership election to Ms Truss.