MP for Warrington South, Faisal Rashid, has backed calls for a ‘Northern Budget’ which would see roughly £37bn invested in Northern transport and infrastructure.
Warrington, Sep 2019 -( Amanjit Singh Khaira)-
Faisal is calling for a commitment to three core“asks” for the North of England to get the bare essential in better transport infrastructure in the short, medium and long-term.
It includes a commitment to a £7 billion Northern Infrastructure Pipeline, featuring road and rail projects which could commence in the next five years and have the potential to transform connectivity in the short-term.
The “asks” call on the Government to consider both short and long-term commitments to the North, at both this year’s fiscal event and the longer-term review of infrastructure spending now slated for 2020.
It includes:
Commitment to a £7 billion Northern Infrastructure Pipeline – a list of shovel-ready road and rail projects to be delivered by the mid-2020s
Commitment to build the full £39 billion Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network by 2040
Commitment to £1 billion for Transport for the North over the next three years to deliver on its vision, including funding for the development of Northern Powerhouse Rail and other road and rail schemes
Faisal Rashid, MP for Warrington South, said:
“If Britain is to compete on the global stage, closing the gap between the North and South is critical. Britain suffers from the worst regional inequality in Western Europe – this simply isn’t good enough.
“I want to see decades of neglect reversed. Across the North, these proposals have cross-party support. A ‘Northern Budget’ would be vital to the region’s future economic success, supporting 850,000 new jobs by 2050 and an extra £100bn into the economy.
“In Warrington, we have had years of underinvestment and even outright dishonesty from this Government – especially on transport. We are still waiting for the Government to follow through on its 2015 promise to scrap the Mersey Gateway tolls. This is a modest demand which would benefit many hard-working people in my constituency, yet after nearly 5 years we have still heard nothing from the Government.
“It is time my constituents received the investment they deserve. I will continue to campaign for a better deal for the North and a better deal for Warrington.”
