Jim McMahon – 2020 Comments on the Northern Transport Acceleration Council

The text of the comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Transport Secretary, on 23 July 2020.

Whilst we welcome an announcement of devolution of transport powers, we’ve heard all this before. Transport for the North was set up to deliver the same aims as this new body, yet it had its roles and responsibilities pulled from underneath it.

The geographical divide in transport spending has exacerbated under the Tories. Transport spending in the North is two and half terms lower than in London. If the North had seen the same per person investment as London over the last decade, it would have received £66 billion more.

The Government need to deliver tangible action and give the funding and powers needed to rebalance infrastructure spending across the country.”