For the coming uk election. Is it enough to change the political weather . Way to school in croydon last week. For a vigil. Hello. Rishi sunak delivered his most important speech as Prime Minister today, with the promise the country, would see the real him. A Leader Setting out what he believes, including being willing to take the toughest decisions. Well at the conservative party conference, he set out a number of key policies, on education and health. But the most controversial idea had been flagged for weeks, the scrapping of the High Speed Rail Line from birmingham to the north of england, and he made the announcement, in manchester. It was an ambitious project to link up the country, but costs spiralled and the plans were hacked back, with the eastern leg of hs2 scapped two years ago. Then today, came confirmation that the birmingham to Manchester Route would also die, along with the line to east midlands parkway. The big question, what would become of the money saved . The answer Network North, a £36 billion plan replacing hs2, that the Prime Minister said, would improve the road and rail network, across the uk. Well have analysis of the proposals and the costs. But first, chris mason reports on the politics of a crucial day, for the Prime Minister. Manchester this lunchtime, and the Prime Ministers warm up act his wife. Rishi and i are each others best friends, and i could not imagine being anywhere else to show my support to him. Rishi sunak began by thanking her, his daughters, his parents as he drew a link between himself and margaret thatcher. This conservative party, the party of the grocer� s daughter and the pharmacist� s son, will always be the party of enterprise, the party of small business. He said hes taken a look at how Government Works since he became Prime Minister, and not liked what hes seen. It isnt anger, its an exhaustion with politics. Weve had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. As for taxes, they will come down, he claimed, but didnt say when. And then, it was to the crux of this speech the proposed High Speed Rail Line between manchester and birmingham, scrapped. I am ending this long running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the hs2 project. 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 this would include, he promised, an extension to the West Midlands metro, Building A Tram System in leeds, electrifying the main rail line in north wales and upgrading. The a1, the a2, the m5, the m6 but there is more. And there was, but not necessarily popular, even in his own party. Some conservatives hate the idea of banning things. Rishi sunak wants to ban smoking for the next generation. I propose that in future, we raise the smoking age by one year every year. The debate over trans rights prompts strong feelings. The Prime Ministers view got one of his biggest cheers here. We shouldnt get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be. They cant. A man is a man and a woman is a woman thats just common sense. The final big policy idea in this speech was about post i6 education in england. We will introduce the new rigorous, knowledge rich, advanced British Standard, which will bring together a levels and t levels into a new single qualification for our school leavers. As the speech drew towards a conclusion, there was a return to personal reflection. Rishi sunak said the uk was not racist. Now, i am proud to be the first British AsianPrime Minister, but you know what . Im even prouder that its just not a big deal. Applause this was a speech in which the fifth Prime Minister in a so far 13 year run in office for the conservatives made an audacious bid to be seen as the face of change. We will be bold. We will be radical. We will face resistance, and we will meet it. Be in no doubt, it is time for a change, and we are it. Thank you. Applause this was an attempt by the Prime Minister to revitalise, to reenergise his premiership, The Grab Politics by the scruff of the neck. The big question now for him is, will it improve his political prospects . Last Roll Of The Dice . Its last Roll Of The Dice . Well, look, we know that theres going to be a general election coming up in the fairly near future. This is a statement of intent. Are we seeing Rishi Sunak Unleashed . Yes. He came in at quite a difficult time and hes been showing the countryj how serious and how focused he is. Watching from his hotel room next door, this man, the conservative mayor of the West Midlands, who had pleaded to save hs2. Obviously im very disappointed that he announced that today. As you know, ifought for it to be maintained. And youve lost. I have lost. Where does that leave you politically . Will you carry on as mayor . I will carry on as mayor, yeah, because i do think it is right that you should stand up, particularly when something is really important to your region. This wasnt a speech of instant crowd pleasers, but instead, ideas that will divide and provoke. It is, then, a gamble. Chris mason, bbc news, in manchester. As weve been hearing, rishi sunak says the money saved by scrapping the northern leg of hs2, will be poured into Imporving The Road and rail Network Across britain, improving connections across Northern England and the midlands. Our transport correspondent, katy austin, has more. The hs2 story has involved predictions of economic benefits, construction had not started but theres already been an impact. More than 400 properties have already been bought between birmingham and manchester. In staffordshire this farmer was. To give up land his family have tended for generations. This farmer was made to give up land. It this farmer was made to give up land. ~ , this farmer was made to give up land. , ~ ,. , this farmer was made to give up land. ,. , this farmer was made to give up land todays land. It makes you cry. Todays announcement land. It makes you cry. Todays announcement means land. It makes you cry. Todays announcement means h52 land. It makes you cry. Todays. Announcement means h52 wont land. It makes you cry. Todays announcement means h52 wont come announcement means hs2 wont come through here any more, welcome news to other local residents in the local tea room but they said damage had already been done. I had local tea room but they said damage had already been done. Local tea room but they said damage had already been done. I had to make a decision with had already been done. I had to make a decision with my had already been done. I had to make a decision with my wife, had already been done. I had to make a decision with my wife, do had already been done. I had to make a decision with my wife, do we had already been done. I had to make a decision with my wife, do we sell. A decision with my wife, do we sell up a decision with my wife, do we sell up and go . Many local people have done that. Im up and go . Many local people have done that. � ,. , done that. Im struggling to find the words to done that. Im struggling to find the words to explain done that. Im struggling to find the words to explain how done that. Im struggling to find the words to explain how h52 i done that. Im struggling to find l the words to explain how h52 has the words to explain how hsz has been the words to explain how hsz has been for the words to explain how hsz has been for so many people. The words to explain how h52 has been for so many people. The words to explain how h52 has been for so many people. There is like a corridor been for so many people. There is like a corridor of been for so many people. There is like a corridor of sadness been for so many people. There is like a corridor of sadness that like a corridor of sadness that follows like a corridor of sadness that follows h52~ the hs2 story has involved predictions of economic benefits, ambitious engineering, but also ballooning costs, delays and changing plans. The project wasnt due to be finally complete until 2041. In the latest chapter it will be a reduced line linking london and birmingham, instead. An alternative which in place of one delayed and overrunning project, will now begin hundreds upon hundreds of new projects, large and small. Road and rail, bus and train, covering the whole country. It will be delivered faster. There is no direct it will be delivered faster. There is no direct replacement it will be delivered faster. There is no direct replacement for it will be delivered faster. There l is no direct replacement for h52s is no direct replacement for hs2� s now axed birmingham to manchester section and the quick intercity links and extra capacity it was meant to create but the government insists other projects around the country will be made possible with the money. For example road improvements including the m6 and a1, extending the bus fares to next year, and an upgrade to links in the north of england. In reality relatively little was due to be spent on hs2� s northern stretches in the next few years and it isnt clear where many of the projects listed of the when many of the projects listed today would materialise. Many businesses and Northern Leaders believe an opportunity has been squandered. Katy austin, bbc news. There have long been complaints about the connectivity across the pennines, poor train services, bus links and roads. So how might the new Network North plans change things . 0ur north of england correspondent, danny savage, has more from leeds. Trains in the north, plenty of people use them. So what is going to change after today . The hope of a boost from the hs2 has been lost. Now what has been called for action, soon. Today has to be the start of a new deal with the north of england based on genuine commitment shown through actual investment, notjust lines on maps, because lines on maps that dont get built. The dream was that hs2 would link into a much improved East West Link it needs to get better. This was my experience last week. Monday evening, been working in manchester all day today. Was due to get the 6. 30 train across the pennines, but that was cancelled, so we got the next one this is it behind me. It has now broken down midway between manchester and huddersfield. So, thoughts on hs2� s demise from those on the platform . I think it should always have gone from birmingham to manchester and then do the east west part, manchester to leeds. The difference in travel when you come up north is so different to how it is down south. 364 quid a month to go from leeds to manchester. Do you get value for money . Not at all. But whats the other option . I drive and get stuck on the m62 for three hours if there is a crash . In the pennine area of the Network North plan, the Prime Minister says Journey Times from Manchester To Bradford will be reduced to 30 minutes. Sheffield to manchester will be 42 minutes, and less than an hour and a half across to hull. People hearing that will think, good, but what is the reality . The reality is that these promises. Are years away from being delivered. And i dont get the sense that. You can actually trust the current government to deliver its promises, having just seen them ditch a project they have been developing for 15 years. I bradford is to get a new station as part of the new plan. And the suburbs of sheffield are to benefit from the opening of a new line in the don valley. For me as a Business Owner travelling around the north of england, i think having an east west connectivity and better interconnectivity within towns and cities in the north is probably more of a priority for us than an hour or half an hour quicker to london. Of course, these projects will be welcomed by many if they happen. But there is an underlying frustration that they dont go far enough at this stage. The decisions and the announcements actually dont solve our really big problems, which is capacity in Manchester Piccadilly and leeds station. Road improvement schemes have been promised, too. Lots of pledges were made today, but this is a very long game. It could be a decade or more before anyone sees the benefits. Danny savage, bbc news, leeds. In a moment well talk to chris in manchester, but first our economics editor, faisal islam, is here. Rishi sunak says hes going to spend the same amount of money on Network North that he planned to spend on hs2, do the numbers add up . It north that he planned to spend on h52, do the numbers add up . It isnt ust about h52, do the numbers add up . It isnt just about a h52, do the numbers add up . It isnt just about a rail h52, do the numbers add up . It isnt just about a rail line, h52, do the numbers add up . It isnt just about a rail line, this h52, do the numbers add up . It isnt just about a rail line, this is just about a rail line, this is about a change of strategy as the Prime Minister admits after 15 years of Cross Party Consensus that britain has regional inequalities, underperforming cities outside of london, and you rectify that with a big strategic Infrastructure Project which requires connectivity and a beacon of investment. That has changed now. A sort of spree of smaller projects which will be more visible to voters, at least on Election Leaflets next year, and will have more of a tangible impact. For example, more value for money, buses investment, more bang for your buck there. But they arent necessarily transformative. In industry, some arched eyebrows tonight, calling it a disintegrated rail plan that has been put together with a crayon and a map one said to me. I think the government would argue, well, you know, hs2 was crowding out investment for other things and we had to change things. If we step back from this there is a big learning curve, how have we got to a situation where a major piece of infrastructure, the first line in 100 years, will end up being a stump from birmingham to london, concentrating on the area that will provide this benefit for the purpose of connecting the north and that will be thought about very carefully. Will be thought about very carefully will be thought about very carefully. Will be thought about very carefull. , ,. , carefully. Chris is standing by in manchester. Carefully. Chris is standing by in manchester. We carefully. Chris is standing by in manchester. We just carefully. Chris is standing by in manchester. We just talked carefully. Chris is standing by in l manchester. We just talked about Election Leaflets. There is a poll around the corner sometime next year, not far away, so this is a big gamble, the politics of all this, for the Prime Minister in that speech today. Yes. It is not ignoble for a political yes. It is not ignoble for a political leader to aspire to win or be popular, but what stands out for me today be popular, but what stands out for me today is be popular, but what stands out for me today is the central policy areas we heard me today is the central policy areas we heard from the Prime Minister today we heard from the Prime Minister today are we heard from the Prime Minister today are not necessarily instantly populan today are not necessarily instantly popular. Take hsz, even within the conservative party, andy street, the conservative party, andy street, the conservative mayor of the West Midlands conservative mayor of the West Midlands is hugely frustrated and angry midlands is hugely frustrated and angry and even considered whipping up angry and even considered whipping up his angry and even considered whipping up his conservative party membership, he has been a memberfor decades membership, he has been a memberfor decades and membership, he has been a memberfor decades and decades. He chose not to be on decades and decades. He chose not to be on the decades and decades. He chose not to be on the edge. Former conservative prime be on the edge. Former conservative Prime MinisterDavid Cameron thinks the decision is wrong and whips up a 15 year the decision is wrong and whips up a 15 year Cross Party Consensus which he thinks 15 year Cross Party Consensus which he thinks is 15 year Cross Party Consensus which he thinks is very damaging and rips he thinks is very damaging and ribs uo he thinks is very damaging and rips up. On he thinks is very damaging and rips up. On smoking, many conservatives think the idea of the state conservatives think the idea of the state banning things is deeply uncomfortable. Another former Prime Minister. Uncomfortable. Another former Prim