Birmingham Local Conservatives have criticised Labour politicians for hailing the government's recent £15 billion transport funding announcement despite the announcement being a rehash of previous Conservative commitments and potentially representing a major funding cut for the West Midlands.
Cllr Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the Opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, said:
We welcome confirmation of most of the funding allocated by Rishi Sunak to the West Midlands. But let’s be clear – this is not new money, it is a reduction in allocation to the West Midlands. This funding was first committed by the last Conservative government in October 2023. Yet we’ve seen both the Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr John Cotton, and Labour’s West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, celebrating it as if it were a fresh win, not the reduction in funding that it appears it is. It’s nothing short of surrendering in the fight for the investment this region desperately needs.
The West Midlands Rail Hub is still short of £1.75 billion in funding. Instead of waving the white flag in faux celebration, Labour should be joining our fight for the support our region deserves.
Labour’s announcement also included £300 million for extending the Metro tram line to the planned "Blues Sports Quarter" in Bordesley Green at the Old Wheels Site. But Conservative councillors warned that the announcement doesn’t change the overall picture of underfunding:
While it will be great see investment the Sports Quarter planned by Birmingham City Football Club, including the tram extension to the new ground in Bordesley Green,” Cllr Alden said, “the fact remains: Labour are spinning old news as new progress. A tram to the Blues can’t distract from the £248 million cut to the wider West Midlands budget or the silence over funding the Midlands Rail Hub.
Cllr Tim Huxtable (Con, Hall Green South), Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport, added:
While I am pleased with the announcement that the West Midlands Combined Authority is to get £2.4 billion CRSTS 2 funding, it is severely disappointing that this appears to be £248 million less than the indicative CRSTS 2 funding (£2.648 billion) to the WMCA announced as part of the Network North funding by the previous Conservative Government on 4th October 2023.
It is also worrying that no funding update has been provided for the £1.75 billion for the Midlands Rail Hub that Andy Street secured, when he was Mayor, from the Conservative Government in October 2023 – but which has now been put on hold by this Labour Government.
The original October 2023 funding allocations under the Conservative government’s “Network North” programme pledged support to major regional transport priorities. Under Labour, the West Midlands could now be left significantly short-changed.
