Sir Keir Starmer excelled with his performance in Huddersfield but can he deliver rail improvements for Yorkshire? - Ismail Mulla

While Rishi Sunak was known to fly to different parts of the country on a government-funded helicopter, even when he was coming to make an announcement about public transport, Sir Keir took the train last Friday.

The PM said: “Huddersfield station is fantastic, with the square outside - Harold Wilson looking good as he stands there as he always does.

“The downside was - if you can believe it - the train was late. That is I’m sure for you a pretty frequent experience.”

Believe it or not but voters are emotional beings. The anger amongst commuters was palpable when it came to the stream of lies and broken promises on transport improvements across Yorkshire from the previous government.

And pictures of Sunak climbing onboard his helicopter illustrated to them that the then PM did not care about their lives. It made him seem out of touch.

Little wonder the current PM scrapped a government helicopter contract thought to be worth £40m.

Speaking of Harold Wilson, he was a great example of public relations genius. Known for carrying and smoking a pipe in public, in private he was a cigar smoker.

The reason? It’s said that it allowed him to fiddle with the pipe to buy more time when answering questions in public. It also created a more authentic in-touch-with-the-people image of him.

Back to Sir Keir, he could have given everyone the whole spiel about how important his job is and climbed onto a helicopter and disappeared until it was politically expedient for him to once again grace us with his presence.

But by relating to the experience of rail passengers in the region, he was able to create a connection and add a layer of authenticity to what he had to say.

The PM referenced his time living in Leeds as a student and visiting his late brother, who lived in the city.

He said: “I’ve got a number of friends around the Leeds area so I’m actually here a lot.

“I’m on the railway quite a lot, and in my experience it’s late more often than it’s on time.”

What he had to say about public transport in itself was significant. The PM reiterated support for the proposed tram system connecting Leeds and Bradford. Placing West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin in a much stronger position in securing financing for the project.

The PM confirmed that £1.7bn was to be spent on transport in the North, including £415m towards the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), which will cut journey times from Leeds to Manchester to 42 minutes.

But once again the PM circled back to relating to the plight of passengers in the North, He told this newspaper: “What people want, what they're entitled to, is a transport system that actually matches their ambition so they can get around.”

He added that he thought nowhere else in the UK had such an unreliable transport network serving millions of people.

"If that was anywhere else in the country, I can’t help thinking the transport would be better than it is – and we need to make sure we change that,” the PM said.

It was telling that his comments were being made from the heart of what is the railway equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle.

As Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, says: “The £1.7bn being spent this year and what is committed so far is necessary but not sufficient.”

And that Northern Powerhouse Rail “including new lines as well as upgrades, with benefits from the North West across to Hull and up to the North East – is still needed in the longer term”.

Ultimately, rail passengers across Yorkshire don’t need warm words but decisive action that fixes the region’s railways. The Government and the PM himself will be judged on delivery. The big question is will it be able to hold its nerve. The economic case for delivering rail improvements across Yorkshire is clear but it needs to be paid forward.

Otherwise the whole performance will fall apart and instead of treading the boards of political theatre, the PM will find himself treading water.