Northern Powerhouse Rail, Greenland, Social Media and under-16s, Tour de France and a bit more….
Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR)
The Chancellor and the Transport Secretary have announced very significant investment in improving railways in the North. After years of press releases but nothing actually happening under the last Government, Labour has set up a costed plan for the NPR. It will be delivered in three phases:
- The first phase will prioritise the quickest wins via upgrades to lines East of the Pennines for delivery in the 2030s, focusing on electrification and upgrades in the Leeds-Bradford, Leeds-Sheffield and Leeds-York corridors, including the stations.
- The second phase, west of the Pennines, will see major construction works in the 2030s and beyond. We will take forward a new route between Liverpool and Manchester on a predominantly new line running via new stations at Manchester Airport and Warrington Bank Quay Low Level.
- For the third phase, we will look at better cross-Pennine links over and above the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) currently being delivered. We see both Manchester to Bradford and Manchester to Sheffield as being key parts of this overall programme. Integral to the way we will take forward NPR is the principle of close collaborative working with local leaders.
This is principally about transport infrastructure, but it’s also an investment in the economic growth of the north. I’d like to thank Tom Riordan, who was formerly the Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, for all the work he’s done on this plan.
Greenland
As I write, President Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland and to put tariffs on European countries who oppose this – including the UK – from the 1st of February is causing considerable alarm. The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump on Sunday night and told him that his plan was “wrong”. There is real concern about the implications of all of this for the future of NATO, which has been the cornerstone of our defence since of the second world war.
Social Media and Under-16s
I am delighted to say that the government will now be consulting on whether to introduce a social media ban for children under the age of 16s. Australia took this step last year.
This is, of course, a hotly debated issue, with concerns expressed about the effects of social media – in particular hours and hours of scrolling each day looking at unsuitable content that the algorithms are sending them – on children in particular. Many parents discuss at what age, if at all, to allow their children to have smartphones, and schools are worried too.
To be frank if someone was sending through in the post the kind of content that children see on their phones, parents and society would be outraged. As you can tell, I am in favour of this.
Tour de France
The Women’s Tour de France will be coming to Leeds in 2027. On the 30th of July 2027 the women’s cycle race will get underway from the Headrow, the same location where the men’s race began in 2014.
It will see Leeds making history as the first place outside mainland Europe to host the start of stage one of a Grand Départ for both the men’s and women’s events.
Political and Parliamentary Activity
- Moved the NI Troubles Remedial Order
- Campaigning in Middleton and Reading
- Q&A with pupils from Middleton St Mary’s and St Philip’s Catholic primary schools
- Meeting with LCC officers about the Middleton Pride in Place funding
- Meeting with the Head of the West Yorkshire Crown Prosecution Service
- Chaired the East West Council
- Visit to Leeds City College Printworks Campus to meet apprentices
- Oral questions in the House of Commons and urgent question on the Kenova Report and the Northern Ireland Troubles
- South Leeds Life Column