Scotland will not
wait until independence day to strengthen Scotland’s relationship with
the north of England and celebrate ‘the ties that bind the nations of
these islands’ following this September’s referendum on
independence.
In a St
George’s Day speech delivered in the shadow of Carlisle Cathedral, First
Minister Alex Salmond told the invited audience of business people that a
successful Scotland will become a new beacon of growth to the north, shifting
the centre of economic gravity of these islands and preventing the flow of
power, wealth and talent flow downhill to the south east.
He said
independence for Scotland would cause an economic rebalancing of Britain and
the Scottish Government would refuse to wait 30 years for high speed rail to be
delivered by Westminster and instead will commission a feasibility study on
work on HSR beginning from the north heading south. The Scottish Government
will also push forward its responsibility to make improvement to the West Coast
rail line north and improve the transport connectivity between Carlisle and the
south west of Scotland, creating a ‘a conurbation of
connectivity’.
Announcing the
study, the First Minister said:
“The vision
– of these border lands as hubs – requires the transport
connectivity to link Scotland and the north of England more effectively
together.
“The
UK’s current plans for high speed rail lack high ambition – for
Scotland and for the north of England. They also lack speed – they may
not reach Manchester and Leeds, let alone Carlisle, until 2032. Indeed even Sir
David Higgins, who is in charge of delivering the project, has expressed
concern about that current timescale.
“But since
2007, rail travel has increased by 144% between London and Glasgow; by 191%
between Manchester and Scotland; and by 261% between Birmingham and Scotland.
Demand for freight is also increasing, but line capacity is
constrained.”
The First Minister
continued:
“But by the
time high speed rail first came to the UK, when the Eurostar link was
completed, the regions weren’t served at all. There was no further
development of services beyond London. In fact, a report by the House of
Commons Transport Select Committee pointed out that “The acquiescence
of Members of Parliament to the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 depended on the
provision of regional services.” Its view was that “The
regions have been cheated.”
“And we have
seen in the last ten years that the major upgrade to the West coast Main Line
focused on Southern parts of the line. We then missed the opportunity for
faster services to the north because the UK Government’s procurement
process for the InterCity West Coast franchise collapsed. That piece of
incompetence which cost taxpayers £50m. At the moment, we may have to
wait for refranchising in 2017 to see a significant improvement.
“To
summarise, under Westminster control, high speed rail won’t come to
Carlisle for decades. The west coast line doesn’t get upgraded, and the
franchise process collapses. The east coast line has seen consistent failures
of operators – and when they do have a public operator which works, their
answer is to change the franchise!
“By
comparison, I am pleased to report that our two rail franchise procurements are
proceeding well and on schedule. And we’re keen to get on with making
major improvements to connectivity.
“We are
already working with the UK Government to prepare joint plans for high speed
rail links between England and Scotland. Initial findings from this review are
due in the summer. And we are taking the initiative within Scotland –
detailed planning is being undertaken for a high speed service between
Edinburgh and Glasgow, which could link to high speed lines from England. The
business case for that Edinburgh to Glasgow link will be sent to Scottish
Ministers in a few weeks.
“An
independent Scotland could do more. Rather than paying our share of the
borrowing costs for high speed rail, as we wait decades for it to spread up
from the south, we can use that money to build high speed rail from the north
instead.
“It’s
time to take positive action. I can confirm today that the Scottish Government
will build on the joint work we are undertaking with the UK Government. We will
establish a feasibility study to explore in detail the options for building
high speed rail from Scotland to England. In doing so, we will work closely
with partners across the UK, especially in the north of England. Of course we
can’t determine the route, until we undertake the feasibility study. But
it is a statement of intent.
“I want to
draw a brief comparison. In the north of Scotland, we are investing to reduce
the time it takes to travel between Aberdeen and Inverness. We’re doing
that because we want to create a conurbation of connectivity across that part
of Scotland. In a similar way, we can develop a conurbation of connectivity
between Carlisle and the south west of Scotland.
“That way, a
prosperous Carlisle and Cumbria will benefit south west Scotland, just as a
prosperous Scotland will benefit the north of England.
“These rail
projects could have the potential to bring huge benefits for all of us. But
they require an initiative and impetus which is more likely to come from a
Scottish Government whose main population centres are within 100 miles of here,
than from a Westminster Government based 300 miles away.”
The First
Minister’s commitment to closer cooperation between an independent
Scotland and the border lands of England will also be recognised through a
forum to forge strong economic links for those both north and south of the
Border with a dedicated lead minister post-independence.
During the speech,
the First Minister told a gathering of business people that a railway line from
London to Manchester and Leeds would bring £3 billion benefit to Scotland
– but a full High Speed Rail connection would bring £24 billion and
lead a major shift from air to rail.
Concluding, the
First Minister said:
“I look
forward to a future of close collaboration between an independent Scotland and
the north of England – in a partnership which will be good for Scotland,
good for the north of England, and good for all of the nations of these
islands. Happy St George’s Day. ”