'Scrapping HS2 would be international embarrassment'

THE Prime Minister has been warned he is "risking the cohesion" of the country over HS2.

- PAUL BRITTON

The warning to Rishi Sunak came as Labour mayors, including Andy Burnham, said axing the high-speed rail route to Manchester would result in "international embarrassment and a national outrage"

Five mayors including the mayor of Greater Manchester and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, met in Leeds after the fate of HS2 to the north was called into question.

They joined fellow mayors Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard and Steve Rotheram to issue a joint plea to the Prime Minister not to cut HS2 further.

Ministers continue to face questions about the fate of the project.

The politicians said that they were open to a conversation on the timetable for the project, but complained that the North was currently in the dark about the next steps.

Mr Burnham warned that an adverse decision risked turning the North-South divide into a "canyon"

"Do not pull the plug on this investment," he said.