Making tracks for the future

The challenges faced by individuals and businesses travelling in this region are, however, enormous. As this newspaper has repeatedly pointed out, the South continues to swallow an unfair share of resources. No greater proof of this is needed than the fact that London, which already has the underground network and the Eurostar, has seen its £16bn Crossrail scheme untroubled by the spending cuts.

Contrast this with Yorkshire. Having seen its regional development agency axed, and the introduction of local enterprise partnerships mired in chaos, it now faces more uncertainty over a high-speed rail link and smaller but vital projects such as the trolleybus in Leeds, extra trams in Sheffield and park-and-ride in York. The facts cannot be ignored. In everything from phone-hacking to NHS reforms, we have seen David Cameron airily dismiss criticisms for months on end and live in a state of denial. The danger is that he is adopting a similarly narrow-minded approach to transport investment, which is not about giving treats to one part of the country but making Yorkshire and the whole of Britain more competitive.

The case for a high-speed rail link between London and Yorkshire underlines the coalition’s attitude. Faced with overwhelming evidence of HS2’s economic benefits from academics, business leaders and Parliamentary colleagues, Ministers maintain a damaging silence while the region risks falling behind its UK rivals and those on the continent.

The previous government, despite its many failures in fiscal responsibility, did at least begin to tackle the neglect of the North which stemmed from the 1980s. Labour was not rigorous enough in demanding value for money from its investments, but it at least recognised the scale of social and economic problems outside London.

Mr Cameron has not yet done even this, despite the fine words he uttered during the General Election campaign. Yorkshire is not asking for extra favours from Government; simply for a fair deal.