SELRAP Newsletter Interactive 4pm 20th feb 2026 - Flipbook - Page 8
THE YEAR IN POLITICS
Electoral Dysfunc琀椀on
Whitehall Watch
Holding the Treasury’s purse strings
for major infrastructure projects, the
chancellor, Rachel Reeves – the MP for
Leeds West & Pudsey - remains a key
player.
At the Department for Transport (DfT),
Heidi Alexander con琀椀nues as secretary
of state, alongside rail minister, Lord
Hendy.
The crea琀椀on of the rena琀椀onalised Great
Bri琀椀sh Railways (GBR), as well funding
HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail
(NPR), remains high on ministers’ “to
do” lists.
The di昀昀ering cycles for local, regional,
and na琀椀onal elec琀椀ons make aligning all
levels of government behind the project
a major, ongoing, challenge for SELRAP.
Recently, the ques琀椀on mark hanging
over local elec琀椀ons (due May 2026)
created uncertainty, as does the s琀椀ll
pending decision on whether Lancashire
will have an elected mayor and local
authori琀椀es.
The good news is that West and North
Yorkshire’s serving mayors, Tracy
Brabin and David Skaith, remain 昀椀rm
supporters of the project.
?
Tracy Brabin
David Skaith
Heidi Alexander
Mayor of
Lancashire
Following the 2024 General Elec琀椀on,
we briefed several new MPs, all strongly
suppor琀椀ve too.
To move the Skipton-Colne Line forward,
close co-opera琀椀on between Lancashire
and Yorkshire is now essen琀椀al,
especially to synchronise the complex
devolved and central government
funding mechanisms together.
Lord Hendy
Rachel Reeves
Encouragingly, launching GBR in
February 2025, Heidi Alexander said: “A
reliable, a昀昀ordable, and e昀케cient railway
is vital to suppor琀椀ng the government’s
growth mission, not only in connec琀椀ng
people to jobs and opportuni琀椀es, but
also contribu琀椀ng to the regenera琀椀on
and integra琀椀on of local communi琀椀es.”
The Skipton-to-Colne Line could quickly
deliver these objec琀椀ves.
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