Huge boost for railways as Rachel Reeves' spending review reveals more funding for NEW train lines across UK
RACHEL Reeves has promised to provide a major boost for the UK's train network - with a fresh vow to pump in billions more pounds into new lines and upgrades on key routes.
The Chancellor delivered the first Spending Review in nearly four years this afternoon - vowing to splurge a mega £300 billion into the likes of the NHS, defence and travel.
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers her Government's spending review
Credit: PA
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Reeves' review was the first in nearly four years by a UK government
Credit: PA
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A train arriving at New Street Station in Birmingham
Credit: Alamy
Follow The Sun's live blog on the Spending Review here.
However, she has not provided a clear plan for how Labour will pay for it.
In a clear tack to the Left, she used her Spending Review to defend higher taxes and borrowing to fund the cash shower.
Referring to travel expansions, she said it was the Government's intention to "undo a generation of underfunding and neglect" under the Tories, 12 months on from Labour's General Election victory.
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Speaking in the Commons today after the weekly PMQs, Ms Reeves said the trains boost aims to "unlock the potential of all parts of Britain".
"We are going further: investing in major rail projects to connect our towns and cities."
The Spending Review includes:
A pledge to end the use of migrant hotels by the next election
Confirmation that nine million pensioners will get the winter fuel allowance this year
Free school meals for half a million more children
An extra £39billion over the next decade for social housing
A £15billion boost to transport to "properly connect" Britain's towns and cities
£22billion investment in research and development and £2billion in Artificial Intelligence
A £30billion injection in clean energy including £14billion for nuclear energy
A rise in departmental budgets by 2.3 per cent a year totalling £190billion more than the Tories
The Defence budget hiked to 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027
She referred back to the Autumn Budget in October last year when she announced funding for the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
"The backbone of rail travel in the North... linking York, Leeds and Manchester... with a quarter of the route expected to be electrified by this summer," the Chancellor continued.
Chancellor says spending review will be about 'making working people better off'
"I know the commitment of the HFs, the Members for Huddersfield, York Outer, and Colne Valley to this issue …and today, I can announce a further £3.5bn of investment for that Route.
"But my ambition and the ambition of people across the North is greater still …and so in the coming weeks I will set out this government's plans to take forward our ambitions on Northern Powerhouse Rail."
Ms Reeves went on to say: "I have also heard the representations of my HFs, the Members for Milton Keynes North, Milton Keynes Central, and Buckingham and Bletchley.
"And I can tell the House today to connect Oxford and Cambridge... and to back Milton Keynes' leading tech sector... I am providing a further £2.5bn for the continued delivery of East-West rail."
She added: "On a matter I know is of great importance to HF Members for Lichfield, Birmingham Northfield, and Birmingham Erdington I can announce today that I am providing funding for the Midlands Rail Hub… the region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme for generations..."
This will strengthen connections to Birmingham, across the West Midlands and into Wales.
The Chancellor then told the Speaker: "For 14 years, the Conservatives failed the people of Wales. Those days are over.
"Following representations from my RHF the Welsh Secretary, the First Minister of Wales and Welsh Labour MPs... I am pleased to announce £445m for railways in Wales over 10 years, including funding for Padeswood Sidings and Cardiff West Junction.
"That, Mr Speaker, is the difference made by two Labour governments... working together to undo a generation of underfunding and neglect."
It comes as Ms Reeves also promised to provide hundreds of millions to tackle illegal migration.
pledged to end the use of expensive asylum hotels - that are costing taxpayers £4million a day - before the next election.
But it risks infuriating voters who want to see action to stop using them now rather than in four years time.
And critics have warned Ms Reeves mega spending blizzard will drive Britain even further into debt and raise the prospect of more tax hikes.
Laying out her package in the Commons, Ms Reeves said: 'My choices are different. My choices are Labour choices."
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