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Rachel Reeves: Social media in hysterics over workers' reactions to major speechRachel Reeves' £15.6bn boost for transport projects across the UK including Manchester, Birmingham and

Sheffield has been welcomed by local mayors - but some workers got tired legs during her speechNewsBenedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter10:44, 04 Jun 2025Updated 11:16, 04 Jun 2025 Rachel

Reeves unveiled an unprecedented £15.6billion boost for public transport in major British cities in a bumper speech this morning - but a group of tired-looking workers behind her might have

hoped she had a bit less to say.

The chancellor pledged to end decades of "underinvestment" holding back cities in the north and Midlands today as she set out the major new package for transport projects in England, which

she said would boost the economy and "create opportunity" across the country. News of the much-needed cash boost has been welcomed by local mayors, including Greater Manchester's Andy

Burnham - though some eagle-eyed viewers watching the speech live noticed that some of the factory workers stood behind her appeared less than thrilled.

‌READ MORE: Rachel Reeves LIVE: Chancellor reveals £15bn boost for cities and towns outside LondonWorkers had a variety of reactions to the speech(Image: Sky News)‌ The length of Reeves'

speech at Mellor Bus factory in Rochdale, Manchester meant they spent plenty of time on their feet, and some of them looked restless by the time she had finished.

Reacting to the broadcast, one Twitter user wrote: "That poor bored guy to the left of Rachel Reeves has done so many eye rolls I thought he was going to take off. He does not look happy."

Another said: "Those poor guys behind Rachel Reeves missing out on a brew & a bacon butty for the longest speech ever..."

Article continues belowThe bus factory employees appeared restless to some(Image: Sky News) Tram, train and bus networks in Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield are among those to receive

new funding for improvements and expansions, while West Yorkshire will finally see the launch of a new mass transit system after years of local campaigning.

The East Midlands will be handed £2bn to launch a new mass transit system between Derby and Nottingham, while a £1.6bn injection of funding will create faster connections to Liverpool John

Lennon Airport, Everton FC's new Hill Dickinson Stadium and Anfield. A brand bus fleet in St Helens and the Wirral will also take to the roads next year.

‌ Up in the northeast, £1.8bn will help extend the Tyne and Wear Metro through Washington, while a £60m platform refurb will take place at Middlesbrough station.

A tweet poking fun at the reception to Reeves' announcement(Image: X/mick (daddo) friel) More frequent trains and a new mass transit system between Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and

North Somerset will meanwhile be set up under a £800m package given to the West of England combined authority.

‌ The chancellor said: "We want London to succeed, but it is the lack of that infrastructure which puts England’s other great cities, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, at a disadvantage

compared to their European counterparts that have this infrastructure, and it helps to explain our underperformance relative to other European economies.

"If we were to increase the productivity of those second cities in the UK to match the national average, our economy today would be £86bn larger."

Rachel Reeves gave the speech at a bus factory in Manchester(Image: Getty Images)Article continues below Elsewhere in the speech, the chancellor promised that next week's spending review

will be "targeted squarely on the renewal of Britain".Rachel Reeves said: "While it is just one quarter, the most recent numbers showed Britain to be the fastest growing economy in the G7

and real wages rose more in less than 10 months under Labour than they did over the first 10 years of the previous Conservative government."But we know that not enough people are feeling

that yet, that trust remains low, prosperity is too narrowly shared."I know that we must do more. In a week's time, I will set out a spending review targeted squarely on the renewal of

Britain, focused on the priorities of working people by investing in our security, in our health and in our economic growth, to deliver on the promise of change to make you and your family

better off."