No HS2 revival despite lack of 'fire sale' of land, shadow transport secretary says

The Prime Minister was previously accused of trying to sell the land used for the transport project below market value, to make it impossible for a future government to reverse his decision.

Recent speculation has suggested it would be unlikely that the land would be sold off before the next election, leaving it as a possibility for Sir Keir Starmer’s team.

During a visit to a Siemens factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, Ms Haigh said that Labour was “obviously pleased” that the Government had not been able to pursue its speedy sale of the land, but that the plans would remain shelved.

“We can't just take their plans for HS2 back off the shelf,” she told The Yorkshire Post.

“What we have absolutely committed to do is work with our Northern mayors, leaders and business to develop the infrastructure plan that will deliver the kind of capacity and connectivity that was promised to the North.

“That means East-West, across the North as a priority, and it will mean using some of the plan that was originally designed for Northern Powerhouse Rail that was dependent on HS2.”

Yesterday saw both Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak continue their election campaigns across the UK, with visits to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister, who has faced a tricky start to his campaign, was the subject of another in a series of perceived gaffs after holding a campaign event in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast, where he was asked by reporters if he was “captaining a sinking ship” going into the election.

Mr Sunak told journalists on his flight back from Belfast that he was “up for the fight” despite his start to the campaign which saw him drenched outside Downing Street when announcing the election.

He said: “I love doing this. I’ve been doing it since the beginning of the year, I’ve been out and about pretty much two, three days a week since the beginning of the year and I love it.”

Both main parties are now trying to finalise their candidate lists for the election, with Labour yesterday selecting a candidate to face its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in his London constituency.

Yesterday saw yet more Conservative MPs stepping down, including former ministers such as Sir John Redwood, surpassing the record number of 72 who quit prior to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.

However, former Northern Ireland secretary, Julian Smith, who was rumoured to step down at this election told The Yorkshire Post that he was “100 per cent” standing.

The Yorkshire Post can also reveal that Labour has selected Tom Wilson to take on Rishi Sunak in his Richmond constituency, hoping to build on the party’s success in the North Yorkshire mayoral race.

Mr Wilson, a former staffer to Chuka Umunna and now-healthcare worker, said that voters in the constituency do not think that the Prime Minister will still be in the seat six months on from an election defeat.

“My message to voters is that you should pick a really dedicated MP who will fight for you and be influential in the next government, rather than just having a by-election in half a year,” he said in his first interview since his selection.