Bradford will be 'rightfully angry' MP says after Boris Johnson appears to confuse city with Leeds

Bradford MP Naz Shah believes that her constituents will be “rightfully angry” after the Commons mishap, in which the Prime Minister said he was not “ruling out” the possibility that HS2 could come to the West Yorkshire city.

HS2's Eastern Leg had originally been due to run from Birmingham to Leeds but November's Integrated Rail Plan curtailed the route so it now ends in the East Midlands. However, the Government did commit to launching a new study of how to eventually connect Leeds to HS2.

Bradford has never been part of HS2 plans but it had been hoped it would be a central part of the separate Northern Powerhouse Rail project. However, that line was also not included in the IRP.

Responding to a question from Ms Shah about investment in Bradford in the Commons yesterday, Mr Johnson said: “What we are saying is that we will look at ways that we can ensure [...] the Eastern Leg of High Speed Rail north of Birmingham on the eastern leg to Bradford.

“What we’re not doing is coming up with a scheme before we’ve decided exactly what to do and how to fund it but we are not ruling it out.”

The Bradford West MP told The Yorkshire Post that the incident shows the “contempt this Government has for Bradford and the north”.

“I think people are going to be rightfully angry,” she added.

“People are already angry that we have been robbed of Northern Powerhouse Rail”.

There were similar sentiments from Shadow Transport Minister Louise Haigh, who said: “It is little wonder the Tories have sold the north short on rail when they can’t tell the difference between two of our major cities.

“Today, Boris Johnson revealed how oblivious he is to the consequences of his rail betrayal."

A DfT spokesperson said tonight the £100m study ordered into connecting Leeds to HS2 will look more generally at other "services and opportunities in the surrounding area, including Bradford".

But it is understood there are no current plans to run HS2 services to Bradford.

The spokesperson said: “As part of the Integrated Rail Plan, we will be electrifying the line between Bradford and Leeds, making services more reliable and eight minutes faster than they are now.

“£100m has been allocated to look specifically at the most effective way to run HS2 trains to Leeds. This includes understanding the best solution for Leeds station capacity, starting work on the new West Yorkshire Mass Transit System and we will look at services and opportunities in the surrounding area, including Bradford.”