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| Labour demands answers from Cameron over rail 'betrayal' | Labour demands answers from Cameron over rail 'betrayal' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Labour has said the public have a right to know if they have been deceived over delays to key rail projects in the Midlands and north of England. | Labour has said the public have a right to know if they have been deceived over delays to key rail projects in the Midlands and north of England. |
| Transport spokesman Michael Dugher said ministers appeared to have known multi-billion plans were in "serious difficulty" before the election. | Transport spokesman Michael Dugher said ministers appeared to have known multi-billion plans were in "serious difficulty" before the election. |
| He is seeking answers over whether ministers were warned before May's poll that plans were not deliverable. | He is seeking answers over whether ministers were warned before May's poll that plans were not deliverable. |
| Ministers says the plans have been "paused" not stopped. | |
| Rail upgrades are a key part of the Tories' 'Northern Powerhouse' strategy but ministers announced on Thursday that major parts of a five-year £38bn plan to modernise the UK's rail network would be put on hold amid concerns about whether they could be delivered on budget and wider concerns about Network Rail's performance. | |
| Plans to electrify the Midland Mainline and the Transpennine line from Manchester to Leeds are among the projects that will be delayed. | |
| Mr Dugher said the government had "betrayed" voters and broken a series of promises made during the election campaign. | Mr Dugher said the government had "betrayed" voters and broken a series of promises made during the election campaign. |
| Chancellor George Osborne has made investments in transport links and other infrastructure across Greater Manchester and Yorkshire a key element of plans to rebalance the UK economy and create a so-called Northern Powerhouse, to rival London and the South-East. | Chancellor George Osborne has made investments in transport links and other infrastructure across Greater Manchester and Yorkshire a key element of plans to rebalance the UK economy and create a so-called Northern Powerhouse, to rival London and the South-East. |
| 'Embarrassment' | 'Embarrassment' |
| Mr Dugher has written a letter to David Cameron asking if ministers were aware of pre-election warnings from the Office of the Rail Regulator and the Commons Transport Committee about the viability of the plans. | Mr Dugher has written a letter to David Cameron asking if ministers were aware of pre-election warnings from the Office of the Rail Regulator and the Commons Transport Committee about the viability of the plans. |
| "It appears that despite you and your ministers knowing that these projects were in serious difficulty before the election, you decided to wait until after the election to reveal the extent of the problems before reneging on the commitments you had previously made. | "It appears that despite you and your ministers knowing that these projects were in serious difficulty before the election, you decided to wait until after the election to reveal the extent of the problems before reneging on the commitments you had previously made. |
| "The public have a right to know if they have been deceived and if members of your Government knew for months that these projects would not be delivered as promised. | "The public have a right to know if they have been deceived and if members of your Government knew for months that these projects would not be delivered as promised. |
| And Sir Richard Leese, the Labour Leader of Manchester City Council, who worked with Mr Osborne on the Northern Powerhouse plan, said it was a "major embarrassment" for the government. | And Sir Richard Leese, the Labour Leader of Manchester City Council, who worked with Mr Osborne on the Northern Powerhouse plan, said it was a "major embarrassment" for the government. |
| "They've identified Northern Powerhouse, rebalancing the economy, as a key policy. This clearly, if a pause goes on for any length of time, will be a major undermining of that policy. | "They've identified Northern Powerhouse, rebalancing the economy, as a key policy. This clearly, if a pause goes on for any length of time, will be a major undermining of that policy. |
| "If we're not able to move on very, very quickly it will move beyond being an embarrassment for the government and will be a major test of their credibility." | "If we're not able to move on very, very quickly it will move beyond being an embarrassment for the government and will be a major test of their credibility." |