This is absolutely tragic. Rail is one of the most valuable investments a state can make. And many of the projects are meant for the North, which is in desperate need for more railways built. Rachel Reeves promised that productive debt needs to be valued higher, and she should abide by that by borrow to invest in these projects.
lookatmeman on
If we don’t invest in our infrastructure nothing will ever get better here. We can’t just let the private sector do it or only London and the surrounding area will get investment. It’s why we can’t rapidly build out our power grid, why everything is so broken and dilapidated here.
Eventually even private investment won’t be interested. Who wants to build anything in a country where power costs are out of control, transport links are hopeless and whose workforce need massive pay increases because of the way we do housing.
Ok-Fox1262 on
The black hole that labour inherited. Let’s get that fecking part straight.
RomyJamie on
A-lot of the RYR schemes were disparate political points scoring projects with little to negative economic return.
The core network itself needs more investment, especially seriously congested parts like WMCL, manchester, leeds.
bobblebob100 on
Makes me laugh people in London running for a tube thats every 5 minutes. Try up north running for a bus that runs every hour
Clbull on
Sir ~~Kid~~ ~~OAP~~ Rail Starver, ladies and gentlemen.
Realistic-River-1941 on
Is this any more than just a rehash of old news? Beverley – York was never on.
Common-Ad6470 on
….and yet I’m sure I read they now want to press on with the Euston end of HS2 at an astronomical cost?
Far better to spend the wasted billions on smaller rail projects that positively impact more people than the few who want to save 30 minutes getting to Birmingham from London.
PurahsHero on
I feel that this is simply political point scoring. Based on the fact that one of the projects that will be scrapped (White Rose station) is being built right now.
JimJonesdrinkkoolaid on
Rachel Reeves is a useless, robotic chancellor with the charisma of a fish.
EdmundTheInsulter on
Oh what a surprise they are in the north and SW. This new government are London centric cretins, they’re still talking about an 8bn Thames crossing and I’ve heard HS2 Euston may still be done, but none of the northern sections still.
Voice_Still on
If Labour don’t invest in this, a good number of its voters will go hard right.
It’s funny how we constantly have to scrap projects which might benefit normal people, but constantly find money to throw at wealth and well-connected companies in the private sector.
thedybbuk_ on
The term ‘£22bn black hole,’ much like ‘ironclad fiscal rules,’ is just another political slogan used to justify opposition to borrowing for investment in public services.
This stance contradicts the party’s own history and the legacy of its greatest achievements while in government – which the neoliberals running Labour today would never dare attempt.
Sir_Bantersaurus on
I believe a lot of these are projects that never had a budget allocated against them, the same with some hospitals.
Whilst I want Labour to borrow to fund infrastructure projects I think it’s unreasonable to say they’re being scrapped so much as simply accepting the reality they were never actually going ahead.
LazarusOwenhart on
“Labours” 22bn blackhole. Do we not mean “The 22bn black hole left by the Tories that Labour are now trying to fix.”
marquoth_ on
> Labour’s £22bn black hole
Sorry, _whose_ £22bn black hole?
Vaxtez on
Whilst ultimately a lot of these projects were at the business case phase and would probably end up dying in the bureaucracy of the UK infrastructure planning systems, i think it would be a waste to can them. Id rather the gov dont bother with the £21.7B on that carbon capture and put that money into Rail infrastructure and fund these projects + HS2 Phase 2a as infrastructure boosts productivity, contributes to lower carbon emissions and relieves traffic on our roads, leading to less wear and maybe less potholes
designerPat on
This “black hole” is rubbish. For a trillion pound economy 22billion is quite small. Labour are destructively clearing the decks to do what? I regret my wasted vote as they will not get better
queen-bathsheba on
Infrastructure needed for growth,what the hell are they doing
BirchyBaby on
No clue at all.. make rail infastructure worth using and value for money through nationalisation, people will use it, generating money for the gov’t in the long run.
“It won’t work hur dur” – works for Japan 🤷♂️ and basically all of Europe.
Again, thick as fuck Austerity humpers thinking this is what we want. Make the country worth more, stop cutting shit.
Dune56 on
Round in circles we go for all eternity. We can’t have anything good in this country because the lot before us were shit, sorry.
Matt6453 on
Isn’t this a very similar amount to that announced today for carbon capture projects? I mean investing in infrastructure would go some way to not producing carbon in the first place wouldn’t it?
We all have our local issues but in my neck of the woods Bristol is known for being a traffic nightmare in desperate need of ways to both improve public transport and reduce the numbers of cars on the roads, the Portishead rail link is absolutely vital to realise that. If she cancels that I’m going to be fucking furious.
Thaiaaron on
Let’s all remember that £22bn is fuck all for a government to raise. In 2023 the UK government spent £1,189bn, adding another £22bn to that number would not move inflation at all, therefore they could literally just print the money.
Government spend £45bn on a Covid Track and Trace app with no problems what so ever, they can absolutely drum up the money to fill this hole. It’s absolute nonsense.
SufficientWarthog846 on
I mean, was the black hole partially created by the previous governments willingness to give contracts to pub landlords, rolling costs over into years they knew they wouldnt be in powe and over promising things to the electorate?
25 Comments
This is absolutely tragic. Rail is one of the most valuable investments a state can make. And many of the projects are meant for the North, which is in desperate need for more railways built. Rachel Reeves promised that productive debt needs to be valued higher, and she should abide by that by borrow to invest in these projects.
If we don’t invest in our infrastructure nothing will ever get better here. We can’t just let the private sector do it or only London and the surrounding area will get investment. It’s why we can’t rapidly build out our power grid, why everything is so broken and dilapidated here.
Eventually even private investment won’t be interested. Who wants to build anything in a country where power costs are out of control, transport links are hopeless and whose workforce need massive pay increases because of the way we do housing.
The black hole that labour inherited. Let’s get that fecking part straight.
A-lot of the RYR schemes were disparate political points scoring projects with little to negative economic return.
The core network itself needs more investment, especially seriously congested parts like WMCL, manchester, leeds.
Makes me laugh people in London running for a tube thats every 5 minutes. Try up north running for a bus that runs every hour
Sir ~~Kid~~ ~~OAP~~ Rail Starver, ladies and gentlemen.
Is this any more than just a rehash of old news? Beverley – York was never on.
….and yet I’m sure I read they now want to press on with the Euston end of HS2 at an astronomical cost?
Far better to spend the wasted billions on smaller rail projects that positively impact more people than the few who want to save 30 minutes getting to Birmingham from London.
I feel that this is simply political point scoring. Based on the fact that one of the projects that will be scrapped (White Rose station) is being built right now.
Rachel Reeves is a useless, robotic chancellor with the charisma of a fish.
Oh what a surprise they are in the north and SW. This new government are London centric cretins, they’re still talking about an 8bn Thames crossing and I’ve heard HS2 Euston may still be done, but none of the northern sections still.
If Labour don’t invest in this, a good number of its voters will go hard right.
A few days ago Labour announced [£22bn for carbon capture projects](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/04/labour-to-commit-almost-22bn-to-fund-carbon-capture-and-storage-projects). Carbon capture, for those who don’t know, basically involves throwing money at Silicone Valley in the vain hope that they’ll magic up a new technology which makes climate change go away without requiring us to make any other changes to society or the economy.
It’s funny how we constantly have to scrap projects which might benefit normal people, but constantly find money to throw at wealth and well-connected companies in the private sector.
The term ‘£22bn black hole,’ much like ‘ironclad fiscal rules,’ is just another political slogan used to justify opposition to borrowing for investment in public services.
This stance contradicts the party’s own history and the legacy of its greatest achievements while in government – which the neoliberals running Labour today would never dare attempt.
I believe a lot of these are projects that never had a budget allocated against them, the same with some hospitals.
Whilst I want Labour to borrow to fund infrastructure projects I think it’s unreasonable to say they’re being scrapped so much as simply accepting the reality they were never actually going ahead.
“Labours” 22bn blackhole. Do we not mean “The 22bn black hole left by the Tories that Labour are now trying to fix.”
> Labour’s £22bn black hole
Sorry, _whose_ £22bn black hole?
Whilst ultimately a lot of these projects were at the business case phase and would probably end up dying in the bureaucracy of the UK infrastructure planning systems, i think it would be a waste to can them. Id rather the gov dont bother with the £21.7B on that carbon capture and put that money into Rail infrastructure and fund these projects + HS2 Phase 2a as infrastructure boosts productivity, contributes to lower carbon emissions and relieves traffic on our roads, leading to less wear and maybe less potholes
This “black hole” is rubbish. For a trillion pound economy 22billion is quite small. Labour are destructively clearing the decks to do what? I regret my wasted vote as they will not get better
Infrastructure needed for growth,what the hell are they doing
No clue at all.. make rail infastructure worth using and value for money through nationalisation, people will use it, generating money for the gov’t in the long run.
“It won’t work hur dur” – works for Japan 🤷♂️ and basically all of Europe.
Again, thick as fuck Austerity humpers thinking this is what we want. Make the country worth more, stop cutting shit.
Round in circles we go for all eternity. We can’t have anything good in this country because the lot before us were shit, sorry.
Isn’t this a very similar amount to that announced today for carbon capture projects? I mean investing in infrastructure would go some way to not producing carbon in the first place wouldn’t it?
We all have our local issues but in my neck of the woods Bristol is known for being a traffic nightmare in desperate need of ways to both improve public transport and reduce the numbers of cars on the roads, the Portishead rail link is absolutely vital to realise that. If she cancels that I’m going to be fucking furious.
Let’s all remember that £22bn is fuck all for a government to raise. In 2023 the UK government spent £1,189bn, adding another £22bn to that number would not move inflation at all, therefore they could literally just print the money.
Government spend £45bn on a Covid Track and Trace app with no problems what so ever, they can absolutely drum up the money to fill this hole. It’s absolute nonsense.
I mean, was the black hole partially created by the previous governments willingness to give contracts to pub landlords, rolling costs over into years they knew they wouldnt be in powe and over promising things to the electorate?