Conservative MP urges Ministers to end bias on transport funding

Pudsey Tory MP Stuart Andrew pressed Ministers to act swiftly to correct a long-standing bias in funding for road and rail schemes favouring London and the South East.

“The Yorkshire Post has led a major campaign to highlight the problem, and I praise it for its work,” Mr Andrew told Ministers. “It has built a coalition of business leaders, transport bosses and politicians.

“However, although we have benefited from many recent projects, the gap is still large; and although we are starting to see a decrease, for which I thank the Government, we need to continue the trend in a high-speed way.

“All that we in the North, and those involved in the Yorkshire Post campaign, ask is a bit more fairness. Of course London is the powerhouse in economic terms, but extra investment is desperately needed in the North.”

This newspaper’s Give us a Fair Deal campaign has won the support of politicians from all parties in calling on Ministers to give the region its appropriate share of public funding.

The region has recently been given the go-ahead for a number of significant schemes, including new rail stations in West Yorkshire, road improvements and a park and ride scheme in York, but there is still no answer on funding for a trolleybus scheme for Leeds.

MPs, commuters and business leaders are also united in frustration that more schemes have not been approved having seen London granted £15bn for its Crossrail scheme along with funding for Tube upgrades.

The Government is consulting on plans to devolve decision-making over local transport schemes to the region.