08:27
Tieng Anh Vui
There should be no blank cheque for HS2 rail plan, says Ed Balls
There are growing signs that Labour is cooling on the HS2 rail project.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls questioned, in his Labour conference speech, whether it was the best use of £50bn.
And shadow treasury minister Rachel Reeves said the party would cancel it "if we don't think it's good value for money and costs continue to rise".
BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said Labour would not commit to cancelling HS2 before the election, but would review it if they won.
He said Labour would look at whether it was the best way to spend £50bn, or whether they should look at other options, like different routes or big improvements to existing lines.
The project's first phase would see 225mph trains running on a new line to be built between London and the West Midlands by 2026. A second phase would see the line extended further north, with branches to Leeds and Manchester by 2033.
The estimated cost of the plan has risen in the past few months from £34.2bn to £42.6bn - plus £7.5bn for rolling stock - and some senior Labour figures such as Lord Mandelson and Alistair Darling now oppose the project.
HS2 has had the backing of all three main party leaders since its conception - despite strong opposition among some backbench MPs.
Supporters of HS2 argue that apart from shorter journey times, the main argument in favour of the project is the need to greatly increase passenger capacity.
'No blank cheque'
In his conference speech Mr Balls said: "We continue to back the idea of a new north-south rail link."
He went on: "But under this government the HS2 project has been totally mismanaged and the costs have shot up to £50bn.
"David Cameron and George Osborne have made clear they will go full steam ahead with this project - no matter how much the costs spiral up and up. They seem willing to put their own pride and vanity above best value for money for the taxpayer."
Mr Balls added: "Labour will not take this irresponsible approach. So let me be clear, in tough times - when there is less money around and a big deficit to get down - there will be no blank cheque from me as a Labour chancellor for this project or for any project.
"Because the question is - not just whether a new high-speed line is a good idea or a bad idea, but whether it is the best way to spend £50bn for the future of our country."
Construction on the London-West Midlands phase is expected to begin around 2017, once Parliament has approved the necessary powers - probably in 2015.
The onward legs to Manchester and Leeds could start being built in the middle of the next decade, with the line open by 2032-33.
Đăng ký: Tieng Anh Vui
Posted in: 
0 comments:
Post a Comment