Labour wade into Liverpool and Manchester City FA Cup row as they demand semi final is moved from Wembley

Labour insist the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Manchester City should be moved from Wembley amid rail engineering works that make it almost impossible to travel to the game by train.

The match, due to take place on either April 16 or 17, will be held in London on a weekend there will be no direct trains from the north-west of England to the capital.

The shadow culture secretary, Lucy Powell, has added her voice to a number of local politicians including the mayors of Liverpool and Greater Manchester calling for the game to be switched to a closer venue.

A statement from Labour read: "Labour is today calling for the Liverpool v Manchester City semi-final next month to be moved, as railway works mean it will be impossible for fans to travel to the match.

"The hotly-anticipated make-or-break fixture between two Premier League title-winners is at risk of having few fans from either team, as engineering works at London Euston and Milton Keynes mean travelling to and from the match will be practically impossible."

Powell added: "In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, fans shouldn't have to struggle to pay extra costs for expensive travel or overnight stays to attend the Wembley match.

"It should be a priority for the FA to ensure that fans are not excluded from attending this game due to the difficulty of travel."

The FA say its position has not changed since a statement on Monday in which it pledged to work with clubs and transport authorities to ensure fans would be able to travel to and from Wembley.