Extra £2.5 billion announced for East West Rail in Government Spending Review.
Making the announcement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said, “I’ve also heard the representations of my honourable friends the Members for Milton Keynes North, Milton Keynes Central and Buckingham and Bletchley, and I can tell the House today to connect Oxford and Cambridge and to back Milton Keynes’s leading tech sector, I am providing a further two and a half billion pounds for the continued delivery of East West Rail.”
Other announcements in the Spending Review included an additional £39bn for social and affordable housing, a boost in defence spending, an end to "costly" asylum hotels by 2029, and an extension of the £3 bus fare cap in England to 2027. A rise to NHS funding by 3% a year has also been welcomed by local MPs.
Callum Anderson, MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, said “East West Rail will be transformational for the towns, villages and city within my constituency - especially Bletchley and Winslow. There's so much opportunity locally - that's why I launched the Bletchley Investment Taskforce earlier this month to position Bletchley and Fenny Stratford as attractive investment destinations within Milton Keynes, and why I will continue to work to solidify and grow our position as national leaders for tech and innovation.”
Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North, said “From East West Rail, to Universal Studios, to our place at the centre of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, it's an incredibly exciting time for our city. As the Chancellor highlighted today, myself and my fellow Milton Keynes MPs will continue to ensure we see the benefits of that, alongside the many other benefits this Labour Government is delivering.”
Emily Darlington, MP for Milton Keynes Central, said “This Labour Government has shown its commitment to our region and city, and the opportunities on our horizon are fantastic. While the Conservatives opposed the Budget that funded this move and crashed the economy under Liz Truss, with three Labour MPs and a Labour Council working together, we are delivering a better future for Milton Keynes.”
