"This aged like a fine milk": An awkward old tweet from Jeremy Hunt has just re-emerged
04.10.2023 - 20:57
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
'Awkward' tweets shared by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt about the 'ambitious' HS2 railway line have resurfaced years later - as the plans for its second leg to Manchester have been scrapped.
The MP for South West Surrey shared a number of posts to social media site Twitter, now known as X, in 2019 and 2020, saying that the plans for the high speed rail line, connecting London to the north of England, were 'ambitious' and a 'great decision'.
He called the plans 'absolutely vital' for the country and questioned 'what signal it would send' if the plans, that he called the 'highest profile infrastructure project' were cancelled.
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He wrote in 2020: "No HS2 = no ambition for our country just when the whole world is looking at us. Now is a time to be AMBITIOUS! #GreatDecision."
In another post, from 2019, he said: "HS2 is absolutely vital. Post Brexit we must be AMBITIOUS for our country and hungry for our economy. What signal would it send if we cancelled our highest profile infrastructure project and weakened our commitment to share prosperity around the country?"
It comes on the day that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the plans for the northern leg of HS2 would be axed. A new line was planned for between Birmingham and Manchester via Crewe as part of the multi-billion pound scheme.
After weeks of speculation, the he used his Conservative Party Conference speech in Manchester to announce the line would not reach the city and would instead be replaced by a newly-branded 'Network North' scheme.
Leader of Manchester City Council Bev Craig