HS2 cancellation: Harrogate Lib Dem attacks Tory MPs for 'not standing up for region'

Rishi Sunak’s announcement at the Tory Party Conference to cancel high-speed rail links to Manchester, following the previous cancellation of the Leeds link, was condemned as a "slap in the face to all those in the north".

Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Tom Gordon said: “Conservative MPs in the North have utterly failed to stand up for our region.

"They allowed the eastern leg to Leeds to be scrapped, and now they have allowed the last remaining northern leg to be scrapped.

"It is a slap in the face to all those across the North.

“To add insult to injury the Prime Minister announced that the Euston London connection would still be going ahead.

"This Conservative government does not care about the North, they never have.

“Even worse, the Government tried to spin this decision by announcing funding for a raft of projects dubbed ’Northern Network’ but it is clear they cannot be trusted to deliver these and some of the projects they have cited have already been built and are operating.

“We need an MP who will stand up for our community, ensure that we are heard and get the transport links that we deserve.

"For too long we have been neglected.

"This is just the latest iteration of Conservative Party contempt. So much for Levelling Up.”