There


is
growing
concern
about
the
future
of
a
major
link
for
Northern
Powerhouse
Rail,
after
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
said
funding
for
the
£12
billion
line
between
Manchester
and
Liverpool
is
in
doubt,
as
the
government
continues
its
efforts
to
balance
the
books.

Conservative
transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
had
said
earlier
this
year
that
the
new
line
would
be
funded
by
money
released
from
the
cancellation
of
HS2
to
Crewe
and
Manchester.

But yesterday Ms
Haigh
sounded
a
note
of
caution
during
the
Labour
Party
conference.

She
told
reporters:
‘The
previous
government
went
round
promising
money
like
there
was
no
tomorrow,
including
all
their
commitments
on
Network
North.
They
hadn’t
made
an
agreement
with
the
Treasury
so
that
funding
is
not
practically
available
at
the
moment.

‘However,
we
are
really
conscious
of
how
important
that
line
between
Liverpool
and
Manchester
is
and
the
investment
in
Manchester
Piccadilly.
So
what
I
am
doing
at
the
moment
is
taking
a
step
back,
looking
at
everything
in
the
round,
and
then
we
will
come
forward
with
a
proper
long-term
infrastructure
strategy
that
serves
the
country
as
a
whole
and
makes
sure
we
deliver
growth
in
the
areas
of
the
country
that
need
it
most,
rather
than
just
walking
around
pointing
at
marginal
constituencies
and
announcing
stations
and
lines.

‘There
is
not
the
money
that
was
allocated
to
HS2
sitting
in
a
pot
somewhere.
Any
transport
project
that
is
put
forward
has
to
go
through
the
stages
of
business
cases
and
development
and
then
through
the
negotiations
with
the
Treasury.
I
am
not
making
commitments
on
any
individual
projects
at
the
moment,
we
are
only
nine
weeks
into
government.
We
will
make
sure
that
when
we
develop
the
strategy,
that
is
the
strategy
we
deliver,
rather
than
these
constant
u-turns
and
promises
that
just
really
undermine
confidence,
particularly
in
the
north.’

Manchester
Mayor
Andy
Burnham
responded:
‘We
will
not
accept
the
cutting
of
that.
You
can’t
cut
HS2
then
cut
this,
just
paring
back
everything.
We
won’t
accept
that.
We
believe
the
government
of
any
colour
needs
to
honour
promises
to
the
North
of
England
and
that’s
what
we
will
fight
for.’