Andy Burnham and Northern leaders' last-ditch plan to save HS2 if Rishi Sunak axes Manchester leg

Protecting the HS2 bill in Parliament will be the top priority if the high-speed railway line between Birmingham and Manchester is scrapped, Northern leaders have said. Greater Manchester's politicians are still urging the government not to scrap the second phase of the major scheme, but say they are open changing how and when it is delivered.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Manchester council leader Bev Craig are still calling for HS2 and the east-to-west Northern Powerhouse Rail line to be delivered in full. But they have urged the government not to 'kill the HS2 bill' which is currently going through Parliament so Labour can complete the Birmingham to Manchester line if it wins the next election.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News today (October 3), Mr Burnham said that he believes it would be difficult for the government to 'kill the bill' before the next election. Both he and Bev Craig, leader of Manchester Council, say they have spoken to officials from the Labour leader's office about the matter, urging the opposition to commit to delivering both rail schemes in full.

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It comes after weeks of speculation over the future of HS2 ahead of the Conservative Party conference, which is currently taking place in Manchester. Reports emerged yesterday (October 2) that Rishi Sunak has decided to shelve the plans but a No. 10 spokesperson later denied these claims, saying 'no final decisions' have been made.

Media outlets have reported that an emergency cabinet meeting could be called today (October 3) to