North 'levelling-up' confidence waning amid claims Whitehall has 'battle royale' over HS2 in Yorkshire

Research published today by campaign group HS2 East reveals that in a poll of more than 2,000 people from the North and the Midlands, just 20 per cent were confident ministers are doing enough to address disparities in the UK economy.

The study also showed concerns about the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 and the associated strain it has put on public finances, with 59 per cent of people worried that the pandemic would widen social and economic inequalities and 47 per cent of those questioned thinking it may stop the Government investing in infrastructure, welfare and affordable housing.

Meanwhile in a House of Lords debate, former Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis raised concerns about the likelihood of HS2 Phase 2b - part of which is West Midlands to Leeds - going ahead in full.

He said that the Government had “raised a very big question mark about the line going to Sheffield and Leeds,” later claiming that there is currently a “battle royale taking place within Whitehall” about whether the eastern leg will happen.

He said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings wanted to cancel the route, and added of the Conservative leader: “What he’s doing now is to axe the eastern leg by form of endless review.”

The Government’s Integrated Rail Plan, setting out how the eastern leg would be delivered, is due out before the end of the year.

The HS2 East campaign’s research comes after a recent report outlined that communities surrounding the eastern leg suffered from lower productivity, received lower transport spending and were home to a greater number of social mobility “cold spots” than their counterparts on HS2’s western leg, as well as compared to the UK average.

Lord Patrick McLoughlin, also an ex-Transport Secretary, said: “It is crystal clear that the eastern leg of HS2 must go ahead in full.”

Lord Adonis told the Lords Grand Committee that, should HS2 not extend to Yorkshire, it would “decimate the economies of the eastern Pennine cities and the North-East if they suffer to that disadvantage in connectivity...”

Charlotte Vere, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, responded by saying that she did not think his amendment to the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill - in which he asked for a commitment to build HS2 in to Leeds in full - was needed.

Baroness Vere said she did not want to see anything that could delay the bill and start of works for phase 2a.

She referred Lord Adonis to a conclusion in the Oakervee Review, which said that “having smaller Bills/phases may be better to allow easier scrutiny of proposals in Parliament and faster construction”.

Lord Adonis said it was the first time the Government has stated an intention to progress phase 2b with a series of smaller bills, adding it would “downgrade and possibly deny entirely” the scheme’s benefits.

Baroness Vere responded by saying that Lord Adonis had taken her statement “in a direction that was not my intention of those words and I can’t believe he’s taken it in those directions".

She said that the Government was “doubling down on levelling up” and that HS2 would be a major part of that.

The National Infrastructure Commission is due to publish its Rail Needs Assessment, a series of recommendations regarding the delivery of HS2’s eastern leg.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Covid hasn’t detracted the Government’s focus on the North and Midlands – in fact, by highlighting existing gaps in our society, the virus has reconfirmed the need to level up our country.

"Our laser-focus on levelling up is already delivering for communities, with people starting to see new trains, more services and increased capacity across the network.

"As we build back better from Covid, we’re committed to bringing the benefits of high speed rail to the East Midlands, Yorkshire and beyond and our Integrated Rail Plan will outline how projects, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, can work together to deliver the reliable train services that passengers need and deserve, as quickly as possible.”