Miliband restates commitment to Yorkshire high-speed rail link

LABOUR leader Ed Miliband insists he still backs a high-speed rail link to Yorkshire after his party's transport spokesman expressed scepticism about the policy.

Mr Miliband insisted he remains a "supporter" of high speed rail yesterday as he sought to steady his leadership at the first of a series of monthly press conferences where he appealed to disillusioned Liberal Democrats to work with his party.

He said the 250mph link – which was in Labour's manifesto and could be worth billions to Yorkshire's economy – is "important for our country" and promised it would be "given priority in our policy review". The coalition has backed plans for a network including stops in the region.

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His comments were aimed at allaying concerns after Labour's Transport Spokesman Maria Eagle said this weekend that a review of transport policy would begin with a bank sheet of paper that "doesn't have a high-speed train line already running through it".

Mr Miliband, the Doncaster North MP, called on Lib Dems concerned that their party's alliance with the Tories was shifting the UK "to the Right" to submit policy ideas as he played down recent criticism of his leadership.

He identified the economy, electoral reform and issues surrounding social mobility as areas in which many Lib Dems shared similar interests to those of Labour or even the same interests.

"To those who are reluctant to abandon ship but are concerned about the direction of their party, I invite them to work with us on issues of common interest," he said.