Liz Truss suggests she could axe £60billion HS2 rail link to boost local transport

LIZ Truss has given her strongest hint yet she could axe the troubled HS2 rail link.

The Chancellor’s deputy confirmed the £60billion project will be part of a crucial Government spending review.

She insisted that local transport matters most to businesses – suggesting she does not see the value of the high-speed link from London to Birmingham.

Her comments will also be seen as evidence of her desire to be Tory leader, as the project is hugely unpopular among members in areas it will cut through.

Miss Truss, in charge of the upcoming spending review, was asked if she would scrap HS2 in an interview with The Spectator.

She replied: “That’s a matter for the zero-based capital review that I’ll be looking at very intently.”

She went on: “What really drives local economies is transport around counties.

“Transport into cities. That’s what makes a difference to why a business decides to locate somewhere.

“We have to be rigorous about what infrastructure is going to maximise opportunities for people.”

HS2 HISTORY

HS2 was first proposed by Labour a decade ago but has been blighted by spiralling costs, delays and protests.

At least £4billion has been spent without a single piece of track being laid, with a huge portion used to buy up homes along the route.

The Sun revealed this week that comedian John Bishop has sold his mansion to HS2 for £6.8million.

Miss Truss also appears to want to rebrand the Tories as the “happy party” – after Theresa May famously called them the “nasty party”. She said in the interview published today: “One thing the Conservative Party needs to be is positive about where we are now, positive about the Britain we’re living in.

“We need to look like we’re enjoying ourselves because no one wants to go to a party where everyone is looking miserable.” The 43-year-old, who uses hashtags and posts clips on social media, called on the party to reinvent itself.

She said: “The last time we had that debate was when the modernisation process took place under David Cameron. We’re in a very different world now, the post-Brexit world. A similar size of reflection is needed to be able to reach out to people in the future.”

But she insisted any leadership process must not be a “personality contest”. She said: “This time we need to make sure there is a proper debate about ideas.”

• GOT a news story? RING us on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk