The Mancunian Way: X-wing over Gmex

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Planespotters hoping to see Rishi Sunak’s private jet swooping into Manchester this weekend will be disappointed. The Prime Minister says he’ll ‘probably’ be driving to Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference.

Then again, he also told BBC Three Counties Radio he would ‘love’ to have a go in Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon, or at the controls of an X-wing, admitting piloting those Star Wars spaceships would make him ‘a very happy man’. So look out for X-wings flying over Gmex on Sunday. Last week it was Beeman, this week it's a geeky PM reaching for the Mancunian skies.

Of course the reason Mr Sunak will be forced to travel here by car is because train drivers union Aslef are on strike from Saturday until Wednesday meaning services including those between Manchester and London will be cancelled. The PM told BBC Radio Manchester it’s ‘very disappointing’ and he ‘would be catching the train’ were it not for the strikes. And for those of us who don’t have a direct line to the Transport Secretary or access to a private jet or helicopter? Looks like it’s the Megabus again.

During a round of radio interviews, Mr Sunak also denied that people feel betrayed by his wavering over the future of HS2. However he did nothing to quell fears he is preparing to either scrap or delay the rail project’s Birmingham to Manchester leg over soaring costs. He told BBC Manchester the government is ‘always making sure that we get value for money out of everything we do’.

Meanwhile, Manchester Airport’s new boss has called for the government