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Minister keeps signal green to steer Crossrail past cuts
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor28.09.09
Crossrail will be spared from the Chancellor's public spending cuts, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis signalled today.
In Labour's clearest declaration yet on the future of the £16 billion east-west London rail link, Lord Adonis promised he would go ahead with the project in full despite the recession.
Backers of the scheme — which will slash journey times across the capital and link Heathrow to the City and Canary Wharf — fear it is in danger from the coming spending squeeze needed to curb the soaring public deficit.
The Conservatives have said they would review the project and the Liberal Democrats' Vince Cable last week said he had to “doubt” whether Crossrail was a key priority.
But Lord Adonis used a speech to the conference today to stress that the rail line, due to be completed in 2017, was right on track despite the Treasury's restrictions on spending.
“Yes, of course these are tough economic times. But under this Labour government there will be no repeat of the stop-go, start then cancel, approach to transport which the Tories adopted in past recessions,” he said.
“Take Crossrail. Proposed in the Seventies, planned in the Eighties, cancelled in the Nineties by the Tories in the recession. Surprise, surprise, the Underground is full because it does not have the vital extra capacity needed in central London.
His words are expected to delight London First and other business groups worried about the project's future.
George Osborne has said Crossrail would be looked at in a wider review of government spending under the Conservatives. But Labour hopes to ram home the message that it is an economic necessity to give London the increase in capacity and faster journey times that the project aims to secure.
Work has started on shafts at Tottenham Court Road and contracts will soon be signed for some key aspects, which government sources hope will help make it irreversible.
One insider claimed the Tories would risk alienating business if they tore up Crossrail's funding deal. It relies on the Exchequer for a third of its costs, with London businesses, council tax-payers and passengers picking up the rest.
The Tories could slash costs by cutting the western extension to Maidenhead and to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
Boris Johnson has “begged” ministers not to scale back the project and is lobbying Tory colleagues to defend the plans.
Reader views (6)
The Conservatives and the Lib Dems know that there is no support for Crossrail outside the City not Londoners who have been forced to pay for the wretched thing. The City is always looking for a welfare hand out from Britain's poorest. Loser Brown and his party are set to lose anyway, so goodbye City Crossrail and Brown, who is so stupid his financial decisions are closer to British banks. disgruntled Londoner
- Val Keller, London UK
The people against Crossrail - have you ever travelled on the Central Line during morning rush hour? Do you enjoy playing sardines with strangers? Do you really think it could handle 20% more people? (Which there will be within a decade or three - Crossrail is a project for the rest of this century and beyond).
It's not just long-distance commuters who will benefit. It's everyone trying to travel between East and West, between homes in those directions and workplaces in the City or Docklands.
- Nigel, London
We cannot afford this. It will not bring the claimed social benefits and the only basis of need is to bring more people into an overcrowded centre of London.
The Link to Heathrow must be paid for by BAA and not the public and the link to SE London is wholly worthless because it will either benefit property speculators of allow muggers to travel home in comfort - this SE link clearly is an expense way to far. Save money and cut this unnecessary project until it can be afforded.
England MUST live within its means otherwise the credit card due date will occur and England will be bust !
- James, City of London
I don't think it was LABOUR that dug the debt hole.
It was a few very greedy bankers.
Crossrail is essential to stop London grinding to one big traffic-jam.
Most of the money on it will, in any case, be spent AFTER this recession has faded away.
- Alex Mckenna, Woodford
I hope that the Tories will this time recognise, that this is exactly the sort of project that must NOT be cut during a recession.
It'll be needed to support the recovery as soon as it comes. It'll be cheaper now, because the contractors will be desperate for the work. It'll be doubly cheaper, because the construction workers employed building it would otherwise be unemployed and claiming benefits.
They knew this in the 1930s. Much of today's tube network was built during the great depression.
- Nigel, London
CrossRail has eight months of life left. With the massive, massive financial hole Labour is digging, this project will be one of the first things to go. Rumours have it that Cameron is already looking at his approach to the IMF for a bailout.
- Phil Jones, London UK
