What a pity George Osborne didn`t find the
objective to "revitalise the cities of the north" such an "exciting and creative
area of public policy making" five years before the 2015 general election,
rather than a mere ten days! (Power to the cities could reverse the Thatcher
legacy,27/04/15) That could well have meant the section of HS2 from Birmingham
northwards, and involving routes to Liverpool docks, taking precedence over
reducing travelling times from London to the Midlands by a matter of minutes. An
upgrade of the Manchester to Leeds railway is welcome, though long overdue, but
for Osborne to describe the prospect as "HS3", with routes "built within the
next parliament", is fooling no-one, and takes his disingenuity to Clegg--like
levels
Little rejuvenation has been possible in the mostly
Labour dominated areas of the north when council grants from the government have
been decimated, and when London and the south-east have always taken priority.
Funny how this chancellor believes "in government as a force for good", when his
economic plan involves the reduction of government spending to 1930s levels, and
cuts to the welfare budget, mostly affecting the poorest and most vulnerable, of
£12billion! Perhaps he would be better advised to devote more of his "energies"
to regulation of the City, ensuring every rich individual and business pays the
correct amount of tax, criminalising the giving of advice on tax avoidance and
evasion, and substantially raising the minimum wage?
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