Rishi Sunak is expected to finally confirm he will scrap the HS2 rail link to Manchester as the prime minister gives his first party conference speech as Tory leader on Wednesday.
Weeks afterThe Independent revealed he wanted to axe the northern leg of the line, Mr Sunak is set to confirm it as part of a speech in which he will also attack the last 30 years of “broken politics”.
He will argue he is the political leader to take the tough decisions necessary for the good of the country, while also accusing Labour of wanting “power for the sake of power” and being “everything that is wrong with our politics”.
But it is HS2 which is bound to steal the headlines.
The row over the high-speed line has overshadowed much of the conference after Mr Sunak repeatedly refused to clarify its future. He is expected to announce the northern leg will be ditched - but commit to building HS2 to Euston, rather than allowing it to terminate in the west London area of Old Oak Common.
It comes after his ministers vowed to ship prisoners overseas and warned voters over a ‘migrant hurricane’.
