Which is pretty spice y. By all accounts. Good evening. In his first speech to the Party Conference as tory leader, rishi sunak said he is only too happy divide opinion and seemingly his own party if thats what it takes to put britain on a long term path to success. But his first big change is to scrap the northern leg of h52, the High Speed Railway that was supposed to link london with manchester a decision his predecessor David Cameron said the country would come to regret for years to come. Perhaps after promising the north a programme for levelling up, it is a gamble the conservatives may come to regret much sooner. Mr suank has also promised a new qualification for further education. That Willl A Levels and the more vocational t levels will be combined that will combine a levels and the more vocational t levels into one single qualification, which in future will be known as the advanced british standard. And to enhance the future, health, of the nation, he is proposing a progressive ban on smoking which would mean that todays 14 year olds will never be legally eligible to buy a packet of cigarettes. Well get the panels view on all those proposals but before we do that, let me play for you for the first the bit of the speech, that focused on the much trailed decison on hsz. I am ending this long running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the h52 project. And in its place. Applause. And in its place, we will reinvest every single penny, £36 billion, in hundreds of new Transport Projects in the north and the midlands across the country. This means £36 billion of investment in the projects that will make a real difference across our nation. Applause that descision has angered many. The mayor of Greater Manchester andy burnham told reporters it had been a frustrating week. I dont see how you can take a plan that goes beyond the life of any individual government or goes beyond the interest of any one political party, given it goes all the way through the country, how you can take that plan and basically tear it up at a Party Conference. But i think we were entitled to better than what weve had. I think this city region was entitled to more respect than its been given. I said the decision was brave here is why it is a gamble in the north of the country where the conservatives took a slew of labours red wall seats in the 2019 election. A survey found almost three quarters or 72 of the public already think london and the south east get much more money spent on them than the rest of the uk. That feeling is Even Stronger in the northern half of england where 83 agreed. Nearly 69 of adults in the Survey Comissioned by the West MidlandsCombined Authority agreed that a failure to complete hs2 would be a failure to level up the rest of the uk. As was proposed in the 2019 conservative manifesto. So where is the £36 billion for network going, spoiler alert, not all in the north. That money will be used for what he called that money will be used for what he called Network North. This is a series called Network North. This is a series of called Network North. This is a series of Transport Projects across england~ series of Transport Projects across england. Here we see the previous hsz route england. Here we see the previous hsz route to end here bc, what was promised, hsz route to end here bc, what was promised, improved railways, bus and rail links promised, improved railways, bus and rail links across england. But what about rail links across england. But what about money behind it . We know that £198 about money behind it . We know that £19. 8 billion will be allocated to the north. This will be used on projects the north. This will be used on projects such as a new station in bradford projects such as a new station in bradford for example at a new connection to manchester. It will not all connection to manchester. It will not all be connection to manchester. It will not all be used in the north. In fact, not all be used in the north. In fact, the not all be used in the north. In fact, the midlands will be given £98 fact, the midlands will be given £9. 8 billion. This will be used on things £9. 8 billion. This will be used on things like £9. 8 billion. This will be used on things like improving connections between things like improving connections between 50 local stations that will cost 517 between 50 local stations that will cost £1. 7 billion. In the wider uk, there cost £1. 7 billion. In the wider uk, there will cost £1. 7 billion. In the wider uk, there will be £6. 5 billion allocated. Spent on projects such as tletter allocated. Spent on projects such as better rail allocated. Spent on projects such as better rail routes between exeter and plymouth, also promised better access and plymouth, also promised better access to and plymouth, also promised better access to dover on the a2. The government want to keep the £2 bus cap irr government want to keep the £2 bus cap in england. He also found out interestingly that a 3p will be spent interestingly that a 3p will be spent on pothole repairs. This is around spent on pothole repairs. This is around 25 spent on pothole repairs. This is around 25 of the total allocated budget around 25 of the total allocated budget. Crucially, in addition to this budget, the government will also spend £12 billion and proving links between liverpool and manchester. That is not part of the network manchester. That is not part of the Network North plan. 8. 3 manchester. That is not part of the Network North plan. Network north plan. 8. 3 billion for othole, Network North plan. 8. 3 billion for pothole. There Network North plan. 8. 3 billion for pothole, there was Network North plan. 8. 3 billion for pothole, there was pothole Network North plan. 8. 3 billion for pothole, there was pothole on Network North plan. 8. 3 billion for pothole, there was pothole on my role that would spoil all of that. Justine, let me take you back to 2012 11 years justine, let me take you back to 201211 years ago when you were Transport Secretary and told the country in spite of the costs, this was the right decision. 0ur Victorian predecessors would have had immense pride to see their railways providing massive benefit today, over 100 years later. But as a result of todays announcement, the Railway Revolution they started is happening again. Your boss at the time, justine, David Cameron says the country will regret it for some time. Do you feel betrayed . I the country will regret it for some time. Do you feel betrayed . I think it is a huge time. Do you feel betrayed . I think it is a huge mistake time. Do you feel betrayed . I think it is a huge mistake for rishi time. Do you feel betrayed . I think it is a huge mistake for Rishi Sunak To Cut High speed to. There seems to be a misconception in number ten that the transport strategy was solely about connecting up cities. It was part of a much bigger strategy to connect up the uk. I think the second thing i heard the Prime Minister say today that i felt was a misunderstanding of the project, was that part of the reason it was being cancelled was because of covid and the impact on passenger numbers. The reality is, there was one leg of hs2 that was about adding capacity onto the West Coast Main Line but the leg from birmingham to manchester was never about capacity, it was about econ activity and improving travel times and also about connecting the north and cities with this ability to have a broader integrated high speed rail network. So i think it is a real mistake to cancel hs2 above birmingham in the same way i think it would have been a mistake to just have a Motorway Network that went to birmingham, ijust cannot understand how the government can think it can be credible on levelling up when it has taken such a dramatic decision today. Has taken such a dramatic decision toda. Has taken such a dramatic decision toda. , ,. ,. , today. The framing is important because when today. The framing is important because when i today. The framing is important because when i went today. The framing is important because when i went home today. The framing is important because when i went home to l today. The framing is important l because when i went home to the north west, which is an aerospace hub, of course they move a lot of stuff to the airports in the midlands and they looked towards the United States, the desperately need this high speed network. And have talked about it for a long time. The concern you hear today is that from birmingham to manchester, the plan is for it to run along what is existing and that is the West Coast Main Line. That will be the spine. If you imagine, that will be the top and, but as we know West Coast Main Line is pretty old and it needs replacing, so how much can we trust the northern part of the spine is going to hold . Going to hold . Exactly. It is deeply frustrating. Going to hold . Exactly. It is deeply frustrating, promises going to hold . Exactly. It is deeply frustrating, promises were going to hold . Exactly. It is deeply frustrating, promises were made l going to hold . Exactly. It is deeplyl frustrating, promises were made on Northern Powerhouse rail, the connection between manchester and leeds. Those were rolled back on. Now we are hearing there is going to be more investment as someone who grew up in yorkshire, that leg was already cut. So it does really feel like every time there are savings to be made, they come out of the strategic projects that are really going to be able to transform the north. I think it is interesting today to see David Cameron, the former pm come out very publicly after this decision and criticise. I guess the final point to make is, overnight, numberten guess the final point to make is, overnight, number ten was briefing out that this was going to be a new kind of politics and of the third years of politics in britain have failed and get to me this felt like just another political speech, it was almost gordon brown, the spending commitments to various communities but i think there is an open question about what is the overriding vision that rishi sunak has for this country. In particular, how people tried levelling up in the north. �. V how people tried levelling up in the north. ,. , � ,. North. Amanda, its infrastructure week. It north. Amanda, its infrastructure week it was north. Amanda, its infrastructure week. It was always north. Amanda, its infrastructure| week. It was always infrastructure week. It was always infrastructure week in the United States, was not . There is an issue here and that is the ballooning of the costs, three times over what was forecasted regionally. There is another issue, we will talk about what is happening in the us House Of Representatives shortly, but if you look at the markets today, bond prices are starting to rise. The Interest Payments on the spending or the debt that our two countries have is starting to climb and i think the chancellor obviously sees that, the reason he cannot cut taxes in the uk. And it is the reason why in both our countries these big infrastructure spends become problematic. Taste infrastructure spends become problematic. Infrastructure spends become problematic. We have seen this ha en problematic. We have seen this happen also problematic. We have seen this happen also in problematic. We have seen this happen also in the problematic. We have seen this happen also in the united problematic. We have seen this| happen also in the United States problematic. We have seen this happen also in the United States and the 0bama administration, there was a bi the 0bama administration, there was a big effort the 0bama administration, there was a big effort for high speed rail, connecting different regions of the country. Connecting different regions of the country, some of that went forward, some country, some of that went forward, some of country, some of that went forward, some of it country, some of that went forward, some of it did not. It required a state some of it did not. It required a state additional investment. Certainly, the biggest news for many years certainly, the biggest news for many years in certainly, the biggest news for many years in the certainly, the biggest news for many years in the state of california is the high speed rail here. Its on the high speed rail here. Its on the same the high speed rail here. Its on the same thing for certain pieces. Ot the same thing for certain pieces got cut the same thing for certain pieces got cut off. I will say, the people spoke got cut off. I will say, the people spoke and got cut off. I will say, the people spoke and said, we want at least a piece spoke and said, we want at least a piece of spoke and said, we want at least a piece of what high speed rail. I think piece of what high speed rail. I think the piece of what high speed rail. I think the Biggest Issue and politics iilht think the Biggest Issue and politics right now think the Biggest Issue and politics right now is that people do not have the patience to wait. Base. People the patience to wait. Base. People are the patience to wait. Base. People are worried if this will really people are worried if this will really come to fruition so people are seeing really come to fruition so people are seeing Infrastructure Projects under are seeing Infrastructure Projects under the are seeing Infrastructure Projects under the bite and administration were under the bite and administration were how under the bite and administration were how can you quickly get wins to prove were how can you quickly get wins to prove whether youre driving down the street prove whether youre driving down the street or railway today and i think the street or railway today and i think that the street or railway today and i think that the sum of the unfortunate realities were partisan politics unfortunate realities were partisan politics have left us because if you are up politics have left us because if you are up for politics have left us because if you are up for election and youre one of your are up for election and youre one of your presidency, you really cannot of your presidency, you really cannot build out those long term projects cannot build out those long term projects. People want to see the pothole projects. People want to see the pothole down the street fixed. People pothole down the street fixed. People want to see the railway get a little bit people want to see the railway get a little bit nicer or a little bit better little bit nicer or a little bit better. It is harder to have the patience better. It is harder to have the patience to go, if we just wait a decade. Patience to go, if we just wait a decade, we will have this high speed rail. Decade, we will have this high speed rail in decade, we will have this high speed rail imiust decade, we will have this high speed rail. Imjust not decade, we will have this high speed rail. Im just not sure the people, whether rail. Im just not sure the people, whether it rail. Im just not sure the people, whether it is rail. Im just not sure the people, whether it is there or here in the united whether it is there or here in the United States, have that kind of patience United States, have that kind of patience and trust in government to wait for patience and trust in government to wait for those reports. And i think that is wait for those reports. And i think that is was wait for those reports. And i think that is was difficult when you think about that is was difficult when you think about levelling up a countrys a company about levelling up a countrys a company or even a states economy. The big company or even a states economy. The big difference is that there are big sweeping roads in america, state to state. And the United Kingdom we do not have that. Our roads are already chopped up with freight and articulated lorries moving north particularly on that link from liverpool to hold. Can you have a modern day economy without a fast speed line going through the country hull. I speed line going through the country hull. ~. Speed line going through the country hull. ~ ,. ,. , speed line going through the country hull. ~ ,. ,. ,. , ~ hull. I think it is hard to make what is a hull. I think it is hard to make what is a victorian hull. I think it is hard to make what is a victorian classic hull. I think it is hard to make| what is a Victorian Classic Network and if he had taken this attitude back then in victorian times, none of our railways would have ever been built. There would have been someone in treasury with a spreadsheet that or whatever they had, saying, this is old all far too expensive. The reality is you have to plan and on the classic network we have put more train and carriages on trains and there comes a time when it is just full. Now is the time we have reached. That is what we to