Liberal Democrats in government will transform The North of England into an economic powerhouse, Nick Clegg has announced. The Deputy Prime Minister said the party will boost transport infrastructure in the region by developing and implementing the “One North” proposals.
One North - a transport plan developed by key northern cities - will maximise economic growth across the region and will be feature prominently in the Liberal Democrat manifesto. Key infrastructure improvements include a new 125mph trans-Pennine rail route - connecting Greater Manchester to the eastern leg of HS2 between Leeds and Sheffield.
It also includes the upgrade and expansion of the M62, M60, M56, M6 and M61 motorways, as well as the electrification of existing trans-Pennine line and upgrades to the northern section of the East Coast mainline.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said at the party conference in Glasgow: "For too long the North of England has been neglected by central government. To close the north-south gap we need better transport infrastructure in the region. This means better motorways and better railway connections. The Liberal Democrats will develop and implement the One North proposals advocated by local authorities across the region.
Continuing Mr Clegg commented: “We are putting our commitment to transport infrastructure at the front and centre of our election campaign in the north. The Liberal Democrats are committed to re-balancing the national economy. To build strong and powerful regions not only do we need to devolve power and money, we need to make sure that they have the infrastructure they need.”
