‘I’m already talking to them about it’: Keir Starmer commits to Manchester-Liverpool rail line

Keir Starmer has pledged to work with Andy Burnham to make a new Liverpool-Manchester railway a reality.

In the Labor leader’s first visit to the North West of this year’s general election campaign, he said LDRS at C&W Berry timber yard in Lancashire: “I’m already talking to them about it.”

“I want to make sure that whatever plan we put in place and fund is the right plan for the North West,” he added from the Ribble South seat, which has been Conservative since 2010.

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“That means working with our mayors. What we told them is that there are no prerequisites as to exactly what that looks like, but we need your input on what the infrastructure is. Northern Powerhouse Rail is very, very important – everyone in the North West appreciates that – but so are trams and buses.

“We have to look at it in the round. But this will not be done by Whitehall looking to the North West and deciding what is best. It will be done with local leaders in the North West, especially our mayors.

“Without pre-empting the general election, I have already started those discussions with Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham.”

However, when asked specifically if he would commit to funding a Manchester Piccadilly Underground station, Mr Starmer was nonplussed.

On the second day of campaigning, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was committed to passing Martyn’s Law. On Wednesday (May 22), Mr Sunak met Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. This coincided with the end of her walk from the Arena to number 10 to camp to pass the law, which would require UK venues and local authorities to have preparedness requirements and plans to prevent terrorist attacks.

Her 200-mile journey ended on the seventh anniversary of the attack, where Mr Sunak told her he would introduce Martyn’s Law to Parliament before the summer recess, but could not guarantee the legislation would be passed before the next election.

A few hours later, he called a general election. Ms Murray said he felt “let down by all the promises that were made and broken”.

This prompted the Prime Minister to clarify his position, telling reporters: “I said until the summer break and that will still be possible. Elections take place in the first week of July. Parliament will reconvene immediately afterwards, so there will be time to introduce the legislation before the summer recess, and that is what I remain determined to do.”

The general election will take place on Thursday, July 4.