Starmer: Scrapped HS2 leg a mess for future government

Sir Keir Starmer says he cannot commit to reversing the decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2 if his party wins the next general election.

The Labour leader said the government had "blown up the project" and left a "mess" for any incoming government.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the high speed rail link between Birmingham and Manchester would not be built.

"What we've seen is a complete fiasco," Sir Keir said in response.

"You've had 13 years of a major project which has now been completely blown up.

"That's billions of pounds wasted and many many people who were promised something the government has now ripped apart.

"I can't stand here and say I'll commit to reversing that decision. They have absolutely left a complete mess for an incoming government."

Uncertainty over the decision dominated the Conservative Party Conference, with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street saying he considered resigning over the issue.

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Sir Keir also described the effective bankruptcy of Birmingham City Council as "deeply concerning" and said work was needed to make sure that people got "the services they need".

'Ensure better decisions'

"There are issues about equal pay, I'm not going to shy away from that," he said, referring to more than £1bn in compensation earmarked for underpaid workers.

"There's been a government that's not been funding local authorities properly for years and therefore actually across the country you're seeing this.

"That's why an incoming Labour government would work with our councils, work with our mayors, and ensure we've got the long-term planning in terms of budgets to ensure that better decisions can be made."

The authority is yet to agree a solution to ongoing equal pay liabilities, which it estimates totals £760m.

The government is due to appoint commissioners to oversee key council functions like finance and governance.