It
is
being
reported
that
the
Prime
Minister
will
announce
the
scrapping
of
HS2
Phases
2A
and
2B
from
Birmingham
to
Crewe
and
Manchester
today.

The
BBC
claims
that
Rishi
Sunak
will
reveal
a
series
of
alternative
projects
in
England
and
Wales
when
he
addresses
the
Conservative
Party
conference
in
Manchester
on
its
final
day.

Ministers
have
repeatedly
avoided
answering
questions
about
the
future
of
HS2
over
the
past
few
days,
ever
since
it
emerged
that
talks
were
being
held
at
government
level
when
documents
were
seen
being
carried
by
a
Treasury
official.

The
Prime
Minister
himself
would
only
say
that
he
would
not
comment
on
‘speculation’.

Manchester
Mayor
Andy
Burnham,
who
is
a
Labour
politician,
has
described
the
reports
as
’profoundly
depressing’,
while
his
opposite
number
in
Birmingham,
Conservative
Mayor
Andy
Street,
warned
that
abandoning
the
northern
section
of
HS2
would
damage
the
reputation
of
the
United
Kingdom
in
other
countries.