Home Secretary Sajid Javid's pledge over northern rail links as he bids to become Prime Minister

Investment has been London centric for too long, Rochdale-born Sajid Javid has said as he lays out proposals for a new £100bn National Infrastructure Fund to be based outside the capital, and sitting alongside existing commitments.

Spend on projects such as high-speed northern rail links, and accelerating the rollout of a national fibre optic network, he says, could boost productivity and rebalance the economy.

“Much of our infrastructure is creaking and in desperate need of upgrading,” Mr Javid said.

“And for too long much of our investment has been focused on London and the South-East, leaving other parts of our country feeling left behind. We urgently need to address these issues.

“That’s why as Prime Minister I would establish a £100bn fund, based outside London, to invest in UK infrastructure, helping create new well-paid jobs, improve transport links, and upgrade connectivity across the UK.”

Conservative candidates

Mr Javid is among 13 candidates vying to be Conservative leader, with Sam Gymiah confirming his bid yesterday.

Henri Murison, director of The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said commitments to Northern promise were long due.

“The decentralisation of this fund, to be based outside London, is also an acceptance of the need to rebalance control to places like the North and the Midlands which have been missed out too often from Whitehall decided priorities,” he added.

Mr Murison cited comments made in The Yorkshire Post by Mr Gymiah last week, warning on emerging ‘no-go’ areas for the Tories in the North.

“Whilst a number of leadership candidates seek to only win the hearts and minds of the small number of Tory members who disproportionately live in the Home Counties, which is why cancelling HS2 is being talked up by some, they would do well to take on board the words of the newest entrant to the race,” he said.

“Those who propose cutting existing projects like HS2, rather than promising to deliver on the Northern Powerhouse project in full, will consign their party to guarantee never winning an overall majority ever again.”

Mr Javid’s bid comes after a report from the Royal Town Planning Institute warned “fragmented” planning of the North must be addressed.