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THE CHANCELLOR RACHEL REEVES WAS IN GREATER MANCHESTER TODAY TO REVEAL A PACKAGE OF INVESTMENT FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE NORTH AND MIDLANDS 12:09, 04 Jun 2025 The Chancellor Rachel Reeves

has been in Greater Manchester this morning to announce the Government's multi-billion pound investment in public transport across the North and Midlands. Alongside Greater Manchester

Mayor Andy Burnham, the Chancellor addressed the press in Rochdale on the £15.6 billion funding package for the mayoral regions. Greater Manchester is set to receive £2.5 billion for

projects, including new tram stops in Bury, Manchester, and Oldham and an extension of the tram network to Stockport._ __READ MORE HERE._ Previously, Andy Burnham called the announcement a

"game-changing moment that will underpin Greater Manchester’s green growth for years to come." Elsewhere in the UK, a £1.5 billion investment in South Yorkshire will encompass £530

million to renew the region's trams, while the East Midlands will be allocated £2 billion to design a new mass transit system between Derby and Nottingham. There will also be £2.4

billion for the West Midlands to fund an extension of the region’s metro from Birmingham city centre to the new sports quarter, and £2.1 billion to start building West Yorkshire Mass Transit

by 2028. In the south, the west of England will receive £800 million, including £200 million to develop mass transit links between Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and north Somerset.

Article continues below While not all the most pressing questions on the future of Greater Manchester's rail network were answered in the announcement, Reeves confirmed there will be

more to come in next week's spending review. 'GOOD TRANSPORT POWERS GOOD GROWTH' Speaking ahead of Reeves' announcement, Andy Burnham took to the podium to say the

Government funding of £2.5 billion for transport projects was the "best news". Praising the news that a new tramline extension from Manchester to Stockport that had long been

called for will now go ahead, he added: "Good transport powers good growth". Starting her announcement, Reeves said it was the Government's mission to improve living standards

and improve public services, adding Government "underinvestment" in recent history had been a "central barrier" to economic growth. Being an MP for Leeds for the past 15

years, Reeves said she was 'painfully familiar' with big Government promises in the past "that come to nothing". She went on to say for too long, young people had been

presented with a choice to stay close to home where they want to be, or to move away to find a good paying job, adding: "No one should have to make that choice". The Chancellor

then took a swing at the Nigel Farage and Reform, accusing their economic polices of being the same "fantasy economics" akin to Liz Truss' ill-fated stint as Prime Minister.

The key theme of Reeves' announcement was the need for Government investment, with the Chancellor saying "Britain faces a binary choice - investment or decline" Reeves said

the decisions made by the treasury mean public investment will be at its highest sustained level since the 1970s. This will see the Government spend £300 billion over next five years on

public services and the country's economic future. As expected, Reeves also confirmed that next week's upcoming spending review will feature amendments to the criteria within the

Treasury's Green Book, which are pivotal in determining project funding eligibility. Until now, the criteria had resulted in not enough investment, particularly in the North and

Midlands when compared to places like London. The amendments will see the Government give every region a fair hearing when it comes to investment, with next weeks spending review setting out

in full the plans for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in terms of housing, energy, roads and rail. In contrast, the announcement today was about renewing transport systems in

England's largest mayoral regions. Reeves said: "Connectivity is a absolutely critical factor in unlocking the potential of towns and cities outside of London" INVESTMENT IN

GREATER MANCHESTER For the region, Reeves said it was her ambition for the the Bee Network to become the UK's first fully integrated, zero emission public transport system by 2030, with

new tram stops in Bury, North Manchester and Oldham. A new Metrolink extension to Stockport would mean shorter commutes into central Manchester, "making sure that 90% of Greater

Manchester residents will live within a five minute walk of a bus or tram that comes at least once every half an hour" The plans would also open up connections for people in Bury,

Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham. NEW MANCHESTER TO LIVERPOOL LINE AND UNDERGROUND PICCADILLY STATION Following the conclusion of the announcement, M.E.N. Politics Writer Joseph Timan - who was

part of the press in attendance - asked the Chancellor what she thought of the proposal for the new line between Manchester and Liverpool, and underground station at Manchester Piccadilly.

However, the Chancellor wouldn't divulge any further information, saying: "Today I'm focussing on the mayoral settlements, not on heavy rail". Rachel Reeves added that

more information will be released next week as part of the spending review. Outside of Greater Manchester, the Government has also announced that there will be a new tram network for Leeds,

as well as extensions to the tram networks in Birmingham and Tyne and Wear. There will also be improvements to buses in the Liverpool City Region, an expansion to Middlesbrough railway

station, and a new mass transit system to connect Derby and Nottingham. NEXT WEEK'S SPENDING REVIEW After making a speech in Rochdale, the Chancellor told reporters: “The previous

Government made a lot of commitments. What they didn’t do is put the money in to be able to deliver them. That is the big difference about what we are doing. “On Wednesday next week I will

be setting out in a spending review where you can see every pound allocated, investment for three years for day-to-day spending, investment for five years for capital spending. “We will then

be publishing a 10-year national infrastructure plan. That is a world away. “You can make all the promises you like but if the money is not there, then they are not real.” The Chancellor

also Rachel insisted she would set out how to pay for any increase in the threshold for winter fuel allowance at the next budget, and promised she would not need another tax-raising budget

on the scale of the one she announced in 2024. Rachel Reeves also suggested she does not believe police will have to make choices about which crimes they investigate if the Government

unveils spending cuts. Article continues below In a letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police, warned that cuts to police budgets will have

“far-reaching consequences”. Asked about warnings from Sir Mark and other policing leaders, the Chancellor said: “We will be increasing spending on police in the spending review next week,

so that’s not a decision that or a choice that I would recognise.” JOIN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS WHATSAPP GROUP HERE