Good morning. Keir Starmer is today pledging to enhance the “Victorian-era” public transport network in the north of England. Anyone experiencing the trains and buses north of Watford understands what he refers to and will likely welcome Starmer’s ambition, though they might also recall similar central government promises previously and wonder what’s novel about this.

Starmer is on a visit near Huddersfield this morning and is utilizing it to announce a package which Number 10 describes as “a major transport package to improve the lives of people across the north of England”. Worth at least £1.7bn, but the projects are familiar, and Starmer is championing measures already in the preliminary stages. The Conservatives contend he is discussing a range of initiatives first announced during their tenure.

However, noteworthy is the language Starmer is embracing; he is acknowledging the transport plight for many in the north.

In a statement released overnight, he states:

The north is home to a wealth of talent and ingenuity. But for too long, it has been held to ransom by a Victorian-era transport system which has stifled its potential. I lived in Leeds for years, I get that this has real-world impacts – missed appointments, children late to school, work meetings rescheduled – all leading to insecurity and instability for working people.
My government won’t stand by and watch. We are rolling up our sleeves, and today’s downpayment for growth is a vote of confidence in the north’s world-beating industries …
After years of false promises and under delivery, this government is delivering real change for the north. We are spending double as much on local transport in the north than the south, all done hand-in-hand with our mayors and local leaders.

And Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, adds:

For too long, the north has been left behind and relied on a crumbling transport system that’s not fit to serve the great towns and cities it’s home to.
The government’s Plan for Change will end that and projects like the TransPennine route upgrade will bolster the region’s underutilized potential and make traveling between these historic northern towns and cities quicker, easier, and greener.

Summarizing what is being announced, Downing Street states:

The prime minister will today outline plans to make the Liverpool-Hull corridor an economic powerhouse – rivalling the Oxford-Cambridge arc – jumpstarted with £1.7bn this year …
This is in addition to funding announced today:
-For the critical rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York, which has faced disruptions and delays for years without a plan to rectify it. The route will now receive £415m in government funding to restore its failing services.
-For local leaders to harness their areas’ untapped potential with over £1bn for the north to improve daily transport services, supporting regional mayors and ensuring decisions about the north are made by those who live there. This accompanies £270m in investment for bus services and £330m in road maintenance throughout the north.

Starmer is due to tackle questions on this (and other matters, hopefully) from workers and journalists at a Q&A at a factory later.

Here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: MPs debate private members’ bills, starting with Clive Lewis’s water bill.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Morning: Keir Starmer visits the area near Huddersfield, where he is scheduled for a Q&A session.

In the evening Reform UK is organizing a major rally in Birmingham, although the blog may close before it commences.

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