Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces criticism for prioritizing Southern projects in her economic growth plans, neglecting investments in the North of England. Labour MP and other critics point out the disproportionate allocation of funding towards London and the Southeast, while essential infrastructure projects in the North remain underfunded.
A Labour MP has accused Rachel Reeves of 'forgetting' the North as she announced her support for a series of projects in the South. Setting out her plans for economic growth on Wednesday (January 29), the Chancellor announced plans for a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport and confirmed funding for new rail and road links between Oxford and Cambridge.
In her speech, in Oxfordshire, Ms Reeves also reiterated her support for Manchester United's plans to redevelop Old Trafford and the area around it. However, with the plans still at an early stage, she did not commit any funding for the project which could see a new 100,000 seat stadium built alongside 5,000 new homes. The Chancellor has now been criticised for announcing 'very little' investment in the North. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Blackley and Middleton South MP Graham Stringer said: 'We need investment in infrastructure. The most important place to be investing is the North of England where there's capacity that can be taken up and you won't be competing with an overheated economy. She's got it wrong with all the investment in the South and very little in the North. 'The North has been forgotten and the North is a place where the extra capacity can lead to immediate economic growth.' Mr Stringer also called out claims that no new runways have been built in Britain since the 1940s when Manchester Airport's opened one in 2001. He said: 'For a Northern MP, she showed a startling lack of knowledge in terms of the economy in the North of England.' Hazel Grove's Lib Dem MP Lisa Smart added: “I agree that we desperately need growth in this country, but it’s deeply concerning that the headlines around Rachel Reeves’ speech are around investing in Heathrow - which the Government’s own figures show will deliver very little growth. When the north west has lost out on billions in funding over the cancelled HS2 and the transport benefits that would have brought, I want the headlines to be about how the Government will genuinely bring growth and investment to the north. “The north has been starved of investment over many years, particularly for transport, and Rachel Reeves’ speech did nothing to convince me that anything is changing. I expected a Labour Government –which a lot of people voted for across this region – to be making a real difference here, and I didn’t see that yesterday.” Bolton's Conservative leader was also critical of the Chancellor, saying that much of what she said in her Oxfordshire speech had already been announced previously. He praised Labour's efforts to reform the planning system but said that businesses are still 'overburdened' with regulation and tax and argued that the government is failing to 'create the conditions' for economic growth. He said: 'It's not just a Labour problem. We've not had any decent growth since the financial crisis. They're doing more of the same. 'There was nothing there for Northern infrastructure. She spoke about how long it takes to get from Oxford to Cambridge. How long does it take to get from Manchester to Newcastle? Connecting Northern cities is an absolute priority. 'As a Conservative, I hold my hand up. The period I'm talking about, we were in office and we failed to get growth. They seem to be doubling down on some of the stuff that's not worked.' Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership think tank, said that he wants London to get what it needs and does not oppose the Heathrow Airport plans. He also recognised the importance of Oxford and Cambridge to the UK economy. But he said the North shouldn't be held back. He said: 'Growth in the Golden Triangle is necessary and important to the UK, and we need all the UK to thrive. High productivity places having been held back helps no one – including us in the North or in the Midlands. 'In the North, closer working between mayoral authorities across both the Office for Investment and National Wealth Fund are to be welcomed. We have a huge opportunity to raise productivity long term across the Northern cities and their surrounding regions, and this is dependent on major infrastructure, completing Trans Pennine Route Upgrade and new lines as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail. 'The 10 year infrastructure strategy to secure this to be delivered by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), alongside the Green Book reform called for by Mayor Steve Rotherham, will come later this year. 'Heathrow is not our top priority – Manchester is the North’s national airport. However, as long as it is fully funded by private finance and isn’t a call on taxpayers we across the North want London to get what it needs. 'The real issue is historic Treasury decision making based on calculations that any growth in the UK is displaced from London if it happens anywhere else, and I refuse to play that game, because it simply isn’t tru
Rachel Reeves UK Economy Northern Powerhouse Infrastructure Investment Heathrow Airport HS2 Transport Labour Party
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