Government to ‘take forward our ambitions' for Northern Powerhouse Rail
Rachel Reeves said plans will be published shortly.
NPR is a scheme to improve rail services between Liverpool and Leeds, which often suffer delays and cancellations.
The previous Conservative government's Integrated Rail Plan sparked outrage among northern leaders in November 2021, when it said that a new line would only be built on one section, and the rest of the route would get enhancements to existing lines.
Ms Reeves said: 'In the coming weeks I will set out this Government's plan to take forward our ambitions for Northern Powerhouse Rail.'
The Chancellor announced £3.5 billion more funding to support the TransPennine Route Upgrade, a project to improve the railway between York and Manchester.
She said the Government would provide £2.5 billion of additional funding to enable the 'continued delivery' of East West Rail, a new line between Oxford and Cambridge.
In her spending review she also said railways in Wales would get £445 million investment over 10 years.
Improvements at Cardiff West Junction and Padeswood sidings will be among those to be funded.
Ms Reeves told the Commons: 'For 14 years, the Conservatives failed the people of Wales.
'Those days are over.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
NatWest to replace Newport city centre ATMs
NatWest's Newport city centre branch will replace its external ATMs with new machines featuring the "latest fraud prevention technology" as part of a national upgrade programme. The ATMs, located on the left-hand side of the building, will also be more accessible, particularly for customers with hearing impairments. New tablet signage will also be installed. Harcroft Consulting, on behalf of NatWest, submitted the plans to Newport City Council, noting the existing ATMs on High Street are "no longer maintainable". The council granted permission under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023. The works must begin within five years from the permission date and must adhere to specific plans. The approval also mandates that the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales be notified before any demolition, allowing them time to record the structure. The development is required to comply with policies from the Newport Local Development Plan 2011–2026, including those related to general amenity, quality of design, and conservation of the natural, historic, and built environment. These changes are not expected to affect branch access or the surrounding public space during or after the works, according to the design and access statement submitted with the application. The statement also clarifies that all modifications to the existing apertures to fit the new machines will be carried out, and any disturbed finishes will be restored to match the existing building. The decision, issued on July 22, 2025, aligns with Section 96(2) of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023. The approval notice also reminds the applicant that the decision does not substitute approval from other regulatory bodies such as Building Control or Highways. NatWest's ATM upgrade is part of a broader national programme aimed at enhancing the security and accessibility of their ATMs. The new machines are expected to provide a more secure and user-friendly experience for all customers, including those with specific needs. The existing machines have been deemed "end-of-life" and are no longer maintainable, necessitating their replacement. The move is in line with NatWest's commitment to ensuring all their ATMs are up to date with the latest technology and standards.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
What's new in the Premier League this season?
The Premier League returns this weekend as reigning champions Liverpool entertain Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday.A thrilling opening weekend also includes Manchester United hosting Arsenal, before Leeds make their return to the top flight when they welcome Everton on has been a busy summer on and off the field, with Chelsea winning the Club World Cup in the United States after Manchester City went out in the last have taken a look at some of the new things you can expect to see over the 2025-26 campaign. What new managers and new players are in the Premier League? Ange Postecoglou said he always won a trophy in his second season in charge of a club and that prediction came true as he guided Tottenham to the Europa League thanks to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao, came on 21 May, but it was not enough to keep the Australian in a job as he was sacked 16 days later - with Thomas Frank moving across London from Brentford to replace Bees then promoted Keith Andrews from set-piece coach to become their new won the Premier League title in 2024-25 to become English champions for a record-equalling 20th Arne Slot's side have been the biggest spenders in the summer with Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz joining for an initial fee of £100m from Bayer Leverkusen, in a deal that could be worth £ Reds may be set to beat that club record transfer if they are able to sign striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle. Liverpool have also signed striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, left-back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth and right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer and Manchester United have both signed strikers as the Gunners bought Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting in a move worth a potential £64m, while United's fee for Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig could reach £ Arteta's Arsenal, runners-up in each of the past three seasons, have also purchased defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and winger Noni Madueke from major moves have seen Manchester United bolster their attacking options with the signings of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Matheus Cunha from Wolves. Chelsea have signed two strikers, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, from Brighton and Ipswich Town respectively, and winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia bought winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for an initial £52m, Manchester City signed AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for a fee of £46.5m and Tottenham paid £55m to buy Mohammed Kudus from West Ham. What new teams are in the Premier League? Leeds United and Burnley both reached 100 points in the Championship to finish in the top two and secure returns to the Premier the Clarets, they were only out of the top flight for one season, but will be hoping to stay in the division for more than one campaign after being relegated in 2021-22, promoted the following year, relegated in 2023-24 and then promoted had been in the Championship for two seasons before winning the title in 2024-25. The third team to come up was Sunderland as they clinched a dramatic 2-1 play-off final win over Sheffield United at Wembley in May to return to the top tier for the first time since Watson, who scored the Black Cats' 95th-minute winner, has since moved to Brighton while midfielder Jobe Bellingham has joined Borussia the newly promoted trio have all spent big in an attempt to stay in the Premier will be hoping to have more luck than the three sides that came up in 2023-24 as Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City were all relegated 12 months later. What new laws are in the Premier League? The biggest change means a goalkeeper holding the ball for more than eight seconds will be punished with a corner for the is hoped this will clamp down on now the law had been six seconds and the punishment of an indirect free-kick - but it was barely ever will warn the goalkeepers with a five-second new law applies across football as a whole and was seen in action at the Club World change means only captains will be allowed to approach referees during Premier League matches this cards can be shown to players who approach officials without permission and behave in a disrespectful the captain is a goalkeeper, a team can provide an alternate player before will be allowed to retake a penalty if they accidental touch it twice while kicking it... so long as the effort went new law has already been used this summer in the Women's European Championship final penalty shootout. England's Beth Mead slipped with a double touch as she scored a penalty in the shootout against Spain - and had to retake it, with her second effort saved by keeper Cata under the old laws she would not even have been allowed to retake it, with a miss recorded instead. What is the new Premier League television deal? In December 2023, the Premier League agreed a new record £6.7bn domestic television deal for Sky and TNT to show up to 270 live games a season, with the BBC continuing to show highlights on Match of the deal begins in 2025-26 and covers four years and was described as the "largest sports media rights deal ever concluded in the UK".The Saturday 3pm blackout will remain in place, but every 2pm Sunday kick-off will be were awarded four of the five packages and will show a minimum of 215 matches a season, up from 128 games in 2024-25. That will include Saturday 5.30pm kick-offs, Sunday 2pm and 4.30pm kick-offs, plus evening games on Mondays and Fridays and three midweek will show a minimum of 52 matches a season including all 12.30pm kick-offs on Saturdays and two midweek match Sports will also broadcast all 10 matches on the final day of each article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is ref cam? The Premier League will test out referee cameras in selected matches this is set to be trialled over six to eight weeks, with the idea to make the technology a permanent feature for the rest of the will wear cameras on their shirts during matches and have an ear-piece and microphone idea of RefCam is to offer TV viewers a unique view of football action, but no controversial incidents will be will not offer live footage but will be used in replays of match incidents from a different perspective. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... How can I watch Premier League highlights from 20:00 GMT on BBC Sport?Who decides the Match of the Day running order?How to listen to Premier League on BBC Sounds?
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Gaucho restaurants CEO issues stark warning to Reeves over tax hikes
A senior figure in the hospitality sector has sent a stark warning to Rachel Reeves ahead of the autumn Budget: 'Your taxes are curtailing growth'. Baton Berisha, chief executive of Rare Restaurants - the company which owns Gaucho and M restaurant brands - has called for National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to be restored to the level they were before April's increase and said he had the backing of others in the industry wanting the same. Pointing to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, Mr Berisha highlighted 84,000 jobs have been lost in the hospitality sector since the NICs hike took effect in April 2025 - equating to roughly 13,000 jobs disappearing per month since then. As a result, Mr Berisha has opted to speak out now 'to highlight the critical issues that the hospitality industry in the UK is facing.' They are, he says, largely 'due to Rachel Reeves' punitive taxes which are curtailing - rather than encouraging or supporting - growth.' 'I and other leaders in our sector want VAT reduced to 15 per cent and for the government to restore NICs to where it was before the budget, so we can continue growth,' Mr Berisha told The Independent. 'Over the 12 months to May 2025, the accommodation and food services sector shed 124,376 employees, a 5.6 per cent year-on-year decline . 'Between January and March of this year, operating hospitality venues saw the equivalent of around 20 restaurant closures per week, around 240 closures in that quarter. Additionally, over the past three months in the UK, there were hundreds of restaurant closures from independents and smaller chains, plus major chains downsizing.' While personnel costs are a big factor hitting all industries, the hospitality sector has also come under pressure from other angles. In April, the cost of business rates rose significantly when Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) firms stopped benefiting from a 75 per cent relief scheme, which was slashed to 40 per cent. In real terms, that meant in some cases an increased cost of up to 140 per cent. That means fewer jobs and, in some cases, fewer companies that can hire anyone at all. 'Combined with a 6.7 per cent rise in the National Living Wage, changes to business rates relief and other employment cost pressures, critical margins have come under extreme strain,' said Mr Berisha. 'Employers across hospitality have limited ability to pass on costs to customers, leading instead to reduced staff, frozen hiring, and in loads of cases, closures.' With the chancellor set to announce a new raft of taxes in the autumn Budget, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned businesses cannot shoulder any more of the burden. 'Without thriving firms the economy will continue to struggle,' said BCC research manager Stuart Morrison. 'Long-term strategic plans from government on industry, infrastructure and trade have been widely welcomed by businesses. But with the focus now on delivery, persistent cost pressures mean firms are left with one hand tied behind their back. 'There must be no more business taxes in the Autumn budget.' Mr Berisha, who arrived in the UK from Kosovo as a 15-year-old fleeing the war, started in the hospitality industry cleaning floors at Quo Vadis in the late 1990s. Since then, he has managed restaurants for Gordon Ramsay at the Savoy, Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck Group and others. Later in his career, a slew of CEO positions have seen him overseeing businesses with more than 10,000 employees and an annual turnover of £500m, leading iconic brands and steering the growth of The Ivy Collection, before taking over as CEO of The Wolseley Hospitality Group prior to his current role at Rare.
