‘Incompetent at best’: Northern reactions to govt’s HS2 cancellation
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to end the high-speed rail line at Birmingham, rather than carry through into Manchester, has been met with widespread condemnation by those in the North.
Sunak confirmed he was scrapping the Northern leg of HS2 during a speech at the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday. In its place, Sunak said he would deliver a series of projects known as Network North.
Northerners were not impressed.
“Less than a couple of weeks after the government scrapped ambitious net zero plans, they have again lacked the ambition to follow through with HS2,” said John Nash, director at Canning O’Neill.
He added later: “Of course, there will always be debate about whether HS2 was right in the first place and large infrastructure projects are never without their difficulties, but to go this far and argue for it for such a long time, only to then do an about turn at the last minute seems incompetent at best.”
Emma Antrobus, director at the Institution of Civil Engineers North West, quipped Sunak’s announcement “underlines a lack of ability to grapple with and deliver major transformational infrastructure projects”.
Neil Baines, managing director of Steven Hunt Associates, echoed Antrobus’s sentiment, stating that Sunak’s decision “shows that the government is incapable of delivering large infrastructure projects on time and within budget”.
Antrobus and Baines were not the only ones questioning what HS2’s early dismissal meant for the country’s ability to conduct infrastructure projects. Jonathan Harper, planner partner at Rapleys in Manchester, said: “Whether it is rail, roads or trams, the delivery of new infrastructure in the UK generally costs significantly more than it does in other countries across Europe. In addition, the politically continuous nature of many of these schemes means it is easier for the government to shy away from delivering infrastructure which will benefit the country in the longer term.”
For Danny Hope, regional director of the North West at Hydrock, HS2 was more than just a railway line.
“It was a symbol of hope and opportunity for the North,” Hope said. “A chance to level up the playing field and close the economic gap with the South — something the Conservatives promised to achieve during their 2019 election campaign.”
With the chopping down of HS2, Hope said that the North was once again being left behind.
He described Sunak’s decision as “a betrayal of everything that the government promised the North. It’s a betrayal of our people and our future.”
Andrew Dickman, managing director at Tritax Symmetry, was of a similar mind, stating: “The Prime Minister’s decision to abandon plans for HS2 to run from Birmingham to Manchester will have a detrimental impact on the country’s economy for decades to come.
“Excellent infrastructure and connectivity are an essential component of a thriving economy,” Dickman continued. “HS2 would have provided that and would have also demonstrated that the government was truly committed to levelling up. As it stands, we are now left with a national rail service, which is quite simply not fit for purpose.”
Sean Keyes, managing director of Sutcliffe, pointed out that scrapping the project now will still have a cost.
“Several hundred million pounds worth of work will be lost due to this cancellation, not to mention the disregard for the 30,000 employees delivering this crucial project, and the countless businesses and investors across the North West that are currently placing their bets on Manchester as a thriving place to invest based on its promise of increased connectivity,” Keyes said.
The government’s decision is at odds with its levelling up mission, he argued.
“Over 14 million people live in the North, which makes up a huge proportion of the country,” Keyes said. “The workforce in the North of the country needs to be able to fulfil [its] potential by working on an equal footing with the South and so investment and funding of projects such as HS2 is crucial, in order for the country to reach its potential and not just the South.”
Over in Cheshire, Cheshire West and Chester Council Leader Cllr Louise Gittins said that her community had been relying on HS2 to deliver the government’s levelling up promise.
“Our rail network is in desperate need of modernisation to allow for the growth in rail travel required for the critical shift from road to public transport to reduce carbon emissions,” she said. “HS2 was going to increase capacity on our Victorian rail network and provide local people with the modern service they need and deserve.”
She added that the cancellation put into jeopardy the investment opportunities HS2 was supposed to enable in Cheshire and Warrington, including £2bn a year in additional GVA and the delivery of 25,000 homes.
As for Sunak’s proposed HS2 alternative, Network North, Gittins remained cautious.
“We now need much more detail, and clear answers from the Prime Minister about his plans for the still long-awaited investment in our rail networks,” she said.
Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital&Centric, described Network North as “some consolation”, admitting that “HS2 was the major prize and the decision will really hurt not only Manchester, but the North”.
Heatley added: “Any re-allocation of funding as part of Network North needs to be fast-tracked so that Northern communities aren’t waiting decades to see projects delivered, which would only widen the productivity divide.
“Absolute certainty is needed on funded projects so councils can build their growth strategies and regen priorities around new those new links.”
For Hydrock’s Hope, Network North fails to address the same problem as HS2.
Hope said: “While investment in localised infrastructure, such as Network North and the upgrades to the Energy Coast Line, is welcomed, the government is missing the point that these are solutions to two distinctly different needs: HS2 is unequivocally integral to joining the country up and bringing long-term economic value at a macro level; while improving local services brings value at a micro-level.
“I urge the government to reconsider this decision,” he continued. “We need the initial North-South connections sorting first to truly unlock Northern prosperity and make the towns and cities, from Liverpool to Hull, greater than the sum of its parts.”
It is not just those in the North who fail to be fans of the elimination of the Northern leg of HS2. Former prime minister David Cameron took to X to share his thoughts, writing that “in years to come I suspect many will look back at today’s announcement and wonder how this once-in-a-generation opportunity was lost”.
Today’s decision on HS2 is the wrong one. It will help to fuel the views of those who argue that we can no longer think or act for the long-term as a country; that we are heading in the wrong direction.
HS2 was about investing for the long-term, bringing the country together,…
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) October 4, 2023
Never thought I’d ever agree with David Cameron but he’s spot on.
By Anonymous
Curtailing HS2 is the best thing Sunak has ever done. Phase 2 of the project was a massively overrated, wholly unnecessary multi-billion pound megaproject which benefitted Manchester to the exclusion of almost everywhere else. The gains to the rest of the Northwest were negligible – indeed KPMG even concluded that Liverpool might have been harmed by it. By contrast, the “Northern Network” schemes might sound less exciting, but they will surely provide a far greater benefit to a much larger number of people.
By Matthew Jones
I think the north should just agreed on a number from central government and build our own.
I think Greater Manchester has been very good in developing it’s airport, tram, and bus services. Perhaps the north deciding how to connects the north might make the region better than just being able to arrive at London a bit quicker.
I personally think the train route between Liverpool and Hull (I remember hearing that being dubbed HS3) is more important than HS2.
By Another Manc
Sunak had some valid points in that the spending on the whole project was out of control , in addition the project was
ill thought out by Labour and would not have really benefitted most of the North of England or Wales,finally most people in the North want better, faster rail travel within the North, and he’s right.
By Anonymous
The Northern Power Partnership – with its plethora of “sponsorship” badges and crammed with Board and Executive Board members like Osbourne and Lord O’Neill should really do the decent thing and resign and disband. As a lobby group for the concept of an agglomerated northern region they have been a total failure.
By Mancunian
Anonymous 10.55pm – if spending was out of control this was the fault of the current Government who should have managed the budget better. Sunak as chancellor and PM for much of the period of the HS2 contract is clearly incompetent.
By Anonymous
Do people on here, think that they will wake up tomorrow and there will be diggers outside Warrington ready to start the Manchester to Liverpool SuperExpress? I bet anyone a Pound to a Penny that in 2030, people are still crawling between Piccadilly and Lime Street on a decrepit carriage. Smokescreens are this governments speciality. East/West from Hull in just over an hour to Manchester? Sheffield in forty five minutes? This country is a world class embarrassment.
By Elephant
It’s odd that the government that has been building HS2 should now say it was out of control. Whose fault was that?
By Tony Heyes
Maybe Liverpool will prepare itself properly for the next major infrastructure announcement instead of being completely lazy and waiting for things to just happen because of the worst management of a city in history .
By Anonymous
Let’s be honest, we all know people who have ‘worked’ on HS2. It was/is a gigantic gravy train, everyone was being paid silly money for pointless jobs. Ludicrous idea in the first place. Rest in peace.
By QS
On Construction news they are bragging this morning that they can build Euston station within timescale and budget. I bet the trains go underground there, like they were supposed to in Manchester. Second class citizens up here, is an understatement.
By Elephant
At least John Bishop is happy with his £4.55m profit along with countless others. The rest of us will have to put up with continued delays, cancellations and highest fares in Europe
By Not JB
A few rent-a-gobs are unhappy. Most Mancs think it’s a dire waste of money and would rather see the Liverpool to Hull route upgraded.
By Heritage Action
For anyone who is not from or living in Manchester.. this doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference. This was only going to benefit Manchester anyway
By Anonymous
Network north is a rehash of previously announced and supposedly committed schemes. We are being treated as fools.@matthewjones you seem to be forgetting that HS2 was also about freeing up more capacity on the slower lines to run more services
By Levelling Up Manager
David Cameron is spot on, totally agree with everything he has said. UK is becoming a laughing stock.
By Anonymous
What will be the new estimated times from London be with Hs2 being curtailed at Birmingham?
By Oh Mr Porter!
Heritage, you are completely wrong HS2 would have benefited the whole of the North by enabling the building of the high speed line from Liverpool to Hull, now due to the mismanagement of this project by the Government we have neither. The North has been shafted.
By Anonymous