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Tories: We could not give Crossrail go-ahead until we look at the Treasury books
18 Mar 2010London's long-awaited Crossrail scheme was thrown into fresh doubt as Kenneth Clarke raised a question mark over its funding package.
The shadow business secretary said a go-ahead could not be given by the Tories until they are in power and went over the Treasury books.
He said: “When he takes office, [shadow chancellor] George Osborne is going to have to look at the full range of financial commitments that have been entered into by the Government.
"I think the party is favourably disposed towards Crossrail but I can't say how and when we can firmly commit to the pubic sector contribution.”
Mr Clarke's verdict will dismay business leaders clamouring for the delayed £16 billion east-west rail link.
Tory leader David Cameron, however, has signalled strong support for the project which is regarded as essential to Boris Johnson's re-election. But he said that nobody outside the Treasury yet knows the scale of liabilities left over from Labour's giant private finance schemes.
He added: “If I were George [Osborne] I would keep my powder dry. It's silly in an election campaign to commit to expenses until you know if you can afford it.”
Reader views (12)
Same old tories, NO they have changed "Honest Dave" says so.
- Fred, London, 19/03/2010 09:42
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This is great news!! When the Tories get in power once again in May this is the first project that will be shoved to the side for the forseeable future, we just can't afford a £16 billion (& it will rise way over the £20 billion mark within the next few years!) project! Labour know that they are out come May so they have nothing to lose to force through huge projects which deep down they know cannot be afforded as things stand! The Crossrail project can & will be stopped by George Osbourne & put on hold for some considerable time, only a 'handful' of buildings have been demolished, the project has not progressed as far as some people would like to believe!!
- Sandro, London, 19/03/2010 09:13
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Same old tories.
- Andy, London, 19/03/2010 00:03
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Crossrail has nothing to offer. A bit quicker from Heathrow to the City. No new areas covered? For £16bn?? (read: £32bn+) - with £6bn from government and the rest from Londoners?
The Chelsea-Hackney line, which preceded Crossrail as an idea, would have been a tube line to parts of London that aren't on the tube network.
Crossrail opens up NO new areas. But think of the works disruption, the tax increases and the inevitable overruns in time & cost. Not to mention the enviromental effects & property blight.
And how the existing tube network will suffer - it needs modernising and maintaining more than this needs building.
All because the Corporation of the City of London want their own train set. Even though they're only contributing a hundred million.
I hate the Tories, but I hope they have the guts to kill this dog of a project.
- Anny Nonymous, London, UK, 18/03/2010 23:40
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The main tunelling contracts are due to be let in "mid-2010". Would Kenneth Clarke and George Osborne delay these contracts or not?
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON, 18/03/2010 20:53
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Surely the government should fix first the problems with the main city undergound and bus system, before embarking on another grandiose project! If they cannot even make work what they have now... I feel that Ken Clarke is right.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London, 18/03/2010 19:56
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Well, half of Oxford St has been carved up primarily to rebuild Tottenham Court Road station, which will ensure it's ready for Crossrail. The station has needed renovations for years and they will be finished with the rebuilding long before Crossrail opens.
It's a misleading article title, too - Crossrail has already been given the go-ahead, what Clarke is saying he isn't sure how much money can come from the public purse. The Tories couldn't stop the project but they could slow it by withdrawing funds and forcing the private sector to pitch in more.
The Tories are completely misguided to even consider derailing it, really.
- John, London, UK, 18/03/2010 17:47
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A bit late for the Conservatives to question Crossrail. The block of fine old buildings at the southwest corner of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford St. has already been demolished. (I'm surprised that Labour hasn't by now sent the bulldozers into the village in the way of the third runway at Heathrow.)
The Conservatives always make big noises on issues that they know they will have no power to change - such as the Lisbon Treaty, Crossrail, Heathrow expansion, probably ID cards too. All 'done-deals'.
- Phil Jones, London EU, 18/03/2010 15:59
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The ES's very own Simon "I hate Crossrail" Jenkins certainly isn't helping to maintain support for the project.
- Keith, London, 18/03/2010 14:11
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This is pathetic posturing from the Tories. If they cancel this they really are clueless as some of us suspect already. perhaps it is time to give the 3rd party a real go.
- David, London, 18/03/2010 13:49
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Look around and you will see Crossrail is BEING BUILT right now and if the Tories think they can cancel it now then we need to know how many millions would be wasted in compensation payments to those who have contracts already.
Their is also Canary Whalf who are funding the station cancel Crossrail and i dont see why they should fund another station ever again.
in fact cancel Crossrail and you can say goodbut to private funding of anything because their will always be uncertainty that a government will stop a project. This will mean all government capital spending will have to come from the taxpayer so its back to schools with leaking roofs given the way the tories "failed to mend roofs for when the sun was not shining!".
No Crossrail and London will loose business to EUROPE where they dont suffer from dogma driven politicians who live in a fantasy world.
Real question for Londoners is would Mayor Boris resign or just roll over like Cutler did when the fleet line was cancelled by the Heath Government?
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 18/03/2010 12:04
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A bit flippin' late isn't it? Half of Oxford Street has already been carved up in the name of this 13-years too late project.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 18/03/2010 11:53
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