A prominent Conservative donor has threatened to stop supporting the party if Rishi Sunak axes the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2, as ministers consider pulling the plug on the multibillion-pound project.
Fears that phase two of the high speed rail line could be junked were compounded yesterday when Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, said it would be "crazy" not to review the plan in light of spiralling costs.
A decision is expected to be taken by the prime minister and his chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, early this week, with an announcement pencilled in for Friday. However, northern Tories believe that scrapping the northern leg ahead of Tory party conference in Manchester this weekend would be a major political embarrassment. They are urging Sunak to wait until closer to the autumn statement in November while they push for a compromise solution.
A major donor to the Tories, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Guardian: "Generations of my family have been proud to support what was the party of business. We've given year in, year out for decades and been active in the party.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin September 25, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin September 25, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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