Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden has accused Labour of waging a war on motorists that is crippling the country and punishing drivers nationwide. He spoke out after it emerged that dozens of road schemes have been cut, which he said will directly impact local communities, hold back growth and stop Britons from getting moving and working again.
Road schemes cancelled
Among the projects cancelled are the A31 improvements, the Blythe Relief Road and the A127 Growth Corridor, alongside almost two dozen more. Holden said Labour is literally cancelling growth. The move follows the gutting of the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), which he helped launch as a Minister and which provided continuity and certainty, ensuring a pipeline of projects.
Holden said Labour has hacked it back because they won't cut welfare. As a result, he argued, there is no security, no confidence and no continuity in construction businesses because road schemes are being cut across the country.
New legislation and fuel duty
Holden also highlighted new legislation in Parliament, describing it as a devious Bill that will be a back door to road charging across the country. He called it a disgrace. At a time when motorists are feeling the squeeze, with petrol and diesel prices going through the roof and surging airport drop-off charges, Labour is also planning to increase fuel duty by five pence a litre.
He said that will impact every business, every shop, every supermarket and every buyer. It will hit every haulier and every haulage company, many of whom are already struggling to stay afloat, with more going bust month after month. The costs will be passed through to customers.
Railways and the way forward
Holden said the Government is ploughing money and resources into its ideological project of nationalising railways, with more cancellations, more delays, more delays to repairs and more short-formed trains, leaving passengers unable to get a seat. He argued this ideological obsession is driving up costs, heaping the burden onto taxpayers and leaving passengers worse off.
He said Labour needs to stop working for their unions and start working for the British people, claiming the Government is being run for its union paymasters. He added that only the Conservative Party will tackle Britain's soaring infrastructure costs, stop ideology running the railways, put passengers first, stop costly cuts to road and rail schemes, deliver improvements, back British drivers and get Britain moving again.
