Union bosses demand emergency HS2 meeting: ‘Economic benefits must not be squandered’

Unions are demanding an urgent summit with ministers, mayors and other stakeholders to ensure the northern leg of HS2 goes ahead.

After weeks of speculation since The Independent revealed Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are planning to scrap phase two of the project, leaders from across the trade union movement are calling for talks to resolve any outstanding issues.

“The huge economic benefits of HS2’s northern leg must not be squandered because of ongoing Conservative incompetence,” they said in a joint statement.

The heads of transport unions the TSSA, RMT and Aslef, as well as Unite and GMB and union body the TUC said ministers “must urgently convene an emergency summit” to find a solution to worries about the costs of building the leg from Birmingham to Manchester.

The Independent this month revealed secret documents outlining the cost benefit of ditching the rail project’s Birmingham to Manchester had been drawn up for a face-to-face meeting between Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt.

Although £2.3bn has already been spent on the construction of the second phase, the documents suggested £34bn would be saved by abandoning any future plans.

After this publication reported the plans, codenamed Project Redwood, Mr Sunak faced a furious backlash, with Boris Johnson and George Osborne among the senior Tories warning the PM he must not “mutilate” the project.

Five Labour mayors have also joined forces in a bid to detail Mr Sunak’s plans to scrap the northern leg, and Andy Street, the Tory mayor of the West Midlands, said axing the northern leg would make it the “most expensive white elephant in UK history”.

After Mr Sunak refused 12 times on Thursday to answer whether HS2’s northern leg will be scrapped, the unions said they were “deeply concerned”.

In a joint statement, the union leaders said: “Delivering the northern leg of HS2 could create over 17,00 construction jobs in the North West alone, not to mention the vital orders to steelmakers at sites including Scunthorpe that will provide rail for the project. And it has the potential to double the economic output of Greater Manchester by 2050.

“These huge benefits must not be squandered because of government incompetence.

“Workers and businesses want a government committed to a proper industrial strategy.

“But the Tories’ constant chopping and changing shows complete disregard for economic development, levelling up and any long-term planning.”

They said Britain already trails much of Europe in high speed rail infrastructure and is “being left behind”.

And they said ministers must hold a summit bringing together “HS2, key contractors, trade unions and mayors in the devolved authorities”.

“This is the best way to find a solution that will deliver the benefits for commuters, business and for communities in the country,” they said.

The statement was signed by TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, Aslef’s Mick Whelan, the GMB’s Gary Smith, the RMT’s Mick Lynch, the TSSA’s Peter Pendle and Sharon Graham of Unite.