TIF referendum not a decider

The Government's decision on whether or not to introduce Greater Manchester's Transport Innovation Fund will not necessarily hang on the December referendum, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly has told the Labour Party Conference.

The MP for Bolton West, who also announced she was stepping down to spend more time with her family, explained that the referendum would simply decide whether the application for TIF funding should actually be submitted to the Government, and added that it would still have to decide whether the grant was financially workable.

She said: "There's a massive chance for Greater Manchester but obviously the case has to be made. Obviously people need to be consulted and we only want to work with the willing.

"So even if there were a yes vote in the referendum, the government would still need to decide whether or not the financial case stacked up."