黑洞社区

Unions have demanded ministers call an emergency summit on HS2 amid expectations that the government is set to scrap the line鈥檚 northern leg between Birmingham and Manchester.

The Trades Union Congress and five member unions said people involved in the project must 鈥渦rgently鈥� find a way to get it 鈥渂ack on track鈥�.

Rishi Sunak has repeatedly refused to confirm that HS2鈥檚 northern leg will go ahead following reports that he has become 鈥渁larmed鈥� by the railway鈥檚 spiralling costs, which are said to be at risk of topping 拢100bn.

The unions said in a statement that cancelling the Birmingham to Manchester route would undermine confidence in the UK鈥檚 ability to build large infrastructure projects.

鈥淭he UK already trails much of Europe when it comes to high-speed rail infrastructure,鈥� the statement said.

鈥淲hile the likes of Spain, France and Germany all have extensive high-speed rail networks, the UK has managed just 70 miles worth of track.

鈥淲e are being left behind and it鈥檚 communities across the North and the Midlands that will pay the price.鈥�

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told the BBC that HS2 was a 鈥渒ey national infrastructure project鈥� and was 鈥渢oo important to be treated as a political football鈥�.

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He said a summit was needed to bring together HS2 contractors, unions, regional mayors and the government to discuss how to 鈥済et the project back on track鈥�.

Nowak said a way needed to be found that 鈥渄elivers for taxpayers, but crucially also delivers benefits for UK supply chains, creates and sustains good quality jobs and drives regional economic growth鈥�.

The comments come after National Infrastructure Commission chairman Sir John Armitt dismissed claims from Conservative peer Michael Lord that the budget for HS2 had rocketed to 拢150bn as 鈥渨ild and fanciful鈥�. 

Armitt told 黑洞社区鈥檚 黑洞社区 the Future Commission conference earlier this week the figure was probably closer to 拢90bn.

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Armitt said the budgets needed to be scrutinised again with its current cost widely accepted to be around 拢70bn although this figure is based on 2019 prices.

He defended the scheme and said 鈥渨e can鈥檛 spend forever putting sticky tape on old [Victorian] infrastructure鈥�.

And he said the UK had a strong record in building infrastructure schemes and too easily berated itself when things went wrong.

鈥淲e are very good at infrastructure in this country,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e always remember the bad and always criticise ourselves.鈥�

Armitt told the same conference the consequence of cutting HS2 will be to turn the country鈥檚 flagship infrastructure scheme into little more than a 鈥渟huttle鈥� between west London and Birmingham.

He said: 鈥淲hile politics will never be removed from infrastructure, and ministers will understandably want to shape the direction of major programmes, we need to face up to the implications of chopping and changing policy. 

鈥淐urtailing the High Speed 2 route so it becomes a shuttle between Acton and Birmingham makes no economic sense.鈥�

The NIC is due to present its next National Infrastructure Assessment on 18 October.

The assessment is published every five years and sets out costed recommendations to government on priorities for the next 20 to 30 years.