Clegg hits out at Labour over sudden scepticism for HS2

The Deputy Prime Minister said Ed Balls’s questioning of the £50bn rail project at Labour’s party conference was “deeply irresponsible” and showed the party could not be trusted with the British economy.

Mr Balls, the Shadow chancellor, stopped short of outright opposition to the controversial scheme on Monday but questioned whether it was “the right way to spend £50bn”. He made clear Labour’s support for the new rail line is now under review.

But Mr Clegg, the MP for Sheffield Hallam, said yesterday: “It’s deeply irresponsible for Labour to undermine a project that would create a stronger economy in our great Northern cities like Sheffield. Once again, they are threatening new jobs in Sheffield and showing that they cannot be trusted on helping our economy grow.

“Instead of indulging in party conference grandstanding, Labour have got to decide if they support Sheffield’s future or not.

“Along with the local business community, I’m completely backing HS2. It will see thousands of new local jobs created and billions extra generated in our economy. It will go some way to help us to tackle the North-South divide that’s scarred our country for too long.”

Mr Balls’s apparent U-turn on the project has caused major divisions within the Shadow Cabinet, and alarmed senior Labour figures who have repeatedly given vocal backing.

Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle felt compelled to inset an additional line into her agreed speech to the conference yesterday, insisting: “We support HS2.”

But in a bid to maintain party unity, she added: “Ed Balls has rightly said there can be no blank cheque for any Government project.

“So I say to David Cameron – get a grip on this project, get a grip on this budget, and get it back on track.”

Speaking at a fringe meeting, former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis was more explicit, warning Labour not to ditch its principles for short-term political gain.

The Labour peer, who first drew up plans for a new North-South rail link, told the party: “I’m very mindful of HS2 and where we are on this too. We cannot as a party preach long-termism and not practice it ourselves. We have got to be very clear about that.”

Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn, Labour’s Shadow Communities Secretary, also made clear his continued support for the scheme.

“I’m a supporter of HS2,” he said.