“Even George Osborne recognises that the Tories’ chronic underinvestment in transport is holding the North back. 

“It takes longer to travel by train from Liverpool to Hull than from London to Paris, yet the government spend £1500 more per head in London than the North. 

“Rather than addressing these disparities, the Conservatives have abandoned the North, having just pulled the plug on the full electrification of the TransPennine route.

“Investing in transport is essential to rebalancing the economy and boosting growth across the country. That’s why Labour has pledged to upgrade the rail network throughout Britain, including a £10bn commitment for Crossrail for the North.”