The Ivanhoe Line fight goes on

The Ivanhoe Line fight goes on

North West Leicestershire MP will keep up pressure on the government

Amanda Hack has responded to the Chancellor’s statement on the new government’s public spending inheritance. The statement identified £22 billion in unfunded spending commitments for the current budget year hidden by the previous government. The overspend prompted an immediate review of funding for rail projects and a further delay in moves to reopen the Ivanhoe Line to passenger traffic.

Speaking in Westminster this afternoon, Amanda said:

“After less than a month in parliament, it’s clear that the Conservatives called an early general election, knowing full well that the cupboard was bare. After 14 years of chaos and waste, the scale of the financial challenge faced by our new government is huge. We have inherited a £22 billion overspend, including nearly £800m of unfunded transport projects. The Ivanhoe Line is one of them.

Unlike the Tories, we don’t make spending commitments we can’t keep. If we can’t afford it, we can’t do it. This will disappoint those campaigning to restore passenger services, but this isn’t the end. This latest development is a setback, but I’m an optimist. I will continue working with all parties to get a green light for the full reopening of the Ivanhoe Line between Burton and Leicester.

I will write to the Treasury to restate the case for the Ivanhoe Line. I will also press the Secretary of State for Transport to review the project. The people of North West Leicestershire can now take comfort from the fact that they are represented by a straight-talking Labour MP working closely with a Labour government that will deliver economic stability as a precursor to economic growth and investment in Britain’s neglected transport infrastructure.”