Exclusive: Rachel Reeves hails ‘huge potential’ of long-awaited Leeds mass transit system ahead of its consultation
Rachel Reeves hailed the “huge potential” a Leeds mass transit system will have for jobs and opportunities ahead of the launch of its consultation.
The Chancellor met with Yorkshire mayors Tracy Brabin and David Skaith in Leeds yesterday, as well as Covid-positive Oliver Coppard virtually, to discuss transport, growth and devolution.
Top of the agenda was a new public transport network for Leeds, which politicians have been promising since the early 2000s. Now the plans cover the whole of West Yorkshire, with the consultation set to launch on Monday.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post for the first time since becoming Chancellor, the Leeds West and Pudsey MP spoke glowingly about the opportunities a mass transit system would give her home city.
On the meeting, she said: “We talked about a number of things, but one of those things was mass transit.
“I’ve got an interest here, because the plans that Tracy [Brabin] has drawn up will go through Armley and Pudsey in my constituency. I can see the huge potential that will have to open up jobs and opportunities in the area that I represent.
“I’m really excited about that, that consultation is just about to get under way and I’ll be urging people in my area and beyond to be part of that consultation.”
Ms Reeves said the money has been guaranteed for the consultation, but further spending would have to be assessed at a later review.
“We’ll have to make all decisions about spending at spending reviews to make sure they deliver value for money,” she said, “but I do know as a Leeds MP how valuable those sorts of investments will be.
“Tracy [Brabin] is really clear that these sorts of projects will need private sector investment. You ask businesses in Leeds and West Yorkshire what is holding back investment and job creation, and top of that list is poor transport connections.
“That does hold us back as a city, it’s a great city to work in and do business in and we do miss out because of that.”
But Ms Brabin was confident that they would succeed. She told the Yorkshire Post: “It isn’t right that here in Leeds it takes you twice as long to get to the city centre, than if you’re in a European city of the same size.
“Mass transit is the solution to that problem and our growth challenge. On Monday, I’m delighted we’ve got the launch of consultation with two corridors. We’re going to have spades in the ground by 2028.
“Money is not going to be turning the taps on, and Rachel [Reeves] has got to get under the bonnet of what’s been left after 14 years of tanking the economy.
“This is not just Leeds but the whole of West Yorkshire, all our local authority leaders are on board. We’ve got the buy-in from government, we’ve got the will - it’s going to be exciting.”
And Ms Brabin hailed the meeting between herself, Mr Skaith, Mr Coppard and the Chancellor.
She said: “Let’s not underestimate the power of this moment, that Rachel [Reeves] has chosen to come to Yorkshire and meet three Yorkshire mayors.”
The Chancellor said she discussed green hydrogen with Mayor of South Yorkshire Mr Coppard, agricultural technology with Mayor of York and North Yorkshire Mr Skaith and creative industries with the former Coronation Street actor Ms Brabin.
The new Labour government wants to extend more powers to the regions, and will include a Take Back Control Bill in the King’s Speech next week.
It is thought that more control over planning and transport will be extended to metro mayors and local authorities, with Sir Keir Starmer saying he wants to move the “presumption of power” away from Westminster.