And we will talk about that medical breakthrough for malaria. A second vaccine shown to be 80 effective. A lifeline for the child that dies every minute from the mosquito borne disease. Good evening. After weeks of speculation and years of indecision about the uks biggest Infrastructure Project, it would appear the birmingham to Manchester Leg of fast speed rail link hs2 is finally be coming off the rails. There are widespread reports today that a decision has already been made to scrap the Northern Branch of the line, and that a portion of that money saved will be invested in other transport projects. We are told the announcement will come on wednesday in the Prime Ministers speech to the conservative Party Conference, though number ten still insists a final decision is yet be be taken. Why the government would allow such speculation to overshadow its annual Party Conference, and one they have staged in manchester of all places, is a bit of a headscratcher. This afternoon, the conservative mayor of the West Midlands, andy street, held an impromptu Press Conference at the doors to the conference, warning the Prime Minister he will be wasting a once in a Generation Opportunity to level up. The choice, very stark either as the rumours say, cancel houston, cancel to manchester, but you will be turning your back on an opportunity to level up, a once in a Generation Opportunity. You will indeed be damaging our International Reputation as a place to invest. Or the alternative is to work with us, engage with us, fully embrace the private sector, here out what they could do to find a way that we can still build this national piece of infrastructure in a way in which we can afford and at a cost which were all comfortable with. Director of the Northern Powerhouse partnership henri murison. It must be a bit of a peculiar atmosphere there. Arent Party Activists bang to ask why a decision like this has been left over from the Party Conference in manchester . I agree, christian. The Party Conference in manchester . Iagree, christian. It the Party Conference in manchester . I agree, christian. It is a strange political Management Strategy and also the Prime Minister is also committed, historically, to building Northern Powerhouse across the pennines. But if you take out hsz, you leave the heart, 30 month gap in the middle of that Northern Powerhouse rail line and that will require, as the times reported a week ago today, an extra 15 billion taken from the h52 budget and added to the Northern Powerhouse rail budget, so this potential sort of windfall of people like transport priorities does not equate to very much. And as last week, when he spoke to colleagues across the bbc regions, including the bbc little editor in yorkshire that actually buses and potholes where his priorities, as chancellor he cut the money on potholes and in South Yorkshire, one of the areas he was discussing with a particular college from the bbc, the recent round of Bus Investments or not an additional penny for South Yorkshire so i am unsure anyone is believing that if we get promised peoples priorities, any of the people will ever see any the money. So they will lose Northern Powerhouse rail commands of the views losing hs2. Northern powerhouse rail commands of the views losing h52. The views losing h52. Goodness knows that the views losing h52. Goodness knows that what the views losing h52. Goodness knows that what that the views losing h52. Goodness knows that what that will the views losing h52. Goodness knows that what that will do the views losing h52. Goodness knows that what that will do for. Knows that what that will do for trusting the government in the know. Lets pick up one of the issues the chancellor turned two today. He seemed to be suggesting that it is much more expensive to run an Infrastructure Project like this in the uk than it is in france. Why is it cheaper for the french to build a project like this rather than the uk . ,. , project like this rather than the uk . G , project like this rather than the uk . G y. , a, uk . So, jeremy quoted the fact that it is approximately uk . So, jeremy quoted the fact that it is approximately ten uk . So, jeremy quoted the fact that it is approximately ten times uk . So, jeremy quoted the fact that it is approximately ten times more l it is approximately ten times more expensive in the uk. 0ne it is approximately ten times more expensive in the uk. One of the reasons for that is that the when the french go past a village or town, they dont put the high speed line in a tunnel. In order to keep tory activists and members happy, many of the local councils, in places like cheshire and ambition when they lost by election to the lib dems, largely on local issues related to hs2, they gave away tunnels and cuttings. 0n the journey from west london, from Wormwood Scrubs up to birmingham, if that is all that is built, you basically wont see daylight, and the challenge of that is guess how much tunnel costs more than railway, it is ten times more expensive so funny enough if you build layers of tunnels you dont need, to keep your own boat and mps happy, it cost ten times more than building a normal railway so i dont know who is to blame, is in the uk Infrastructure Sector who have sought to deliver this course and have come together with andy street to start thinking about how to reduce the cost or is it the Prime Ministers colleagues in government, is it himself as Chief Secretary and chancellor, was he necessarily focused on keeping the costs down . Was he generally doing enough to tackle inflation . Because a lot of the change in prices because of inflation and that is one of the Prime Ministers priorities. He has allowed vision to Get Out Of Control and should take Response Vanity for that. fine Get Out Of Control and should take Response Vanity for that. Get out of control and should take Response Vanity for that. One of the other argument Response Vanity for that. One of the other argument is Response Vanity for that. One of the other argument is that Response Vanity for that. One of the other argument is that the Response Vanity for that. One of the other argument is that the Business Case has changed, which again is odd because it when i speak to when i go to the north west says they desperately need this northern leg of the hs2 network. That the Business Case has shifted such that the investment would be wasted. What would you say about the message it sends out to International Investors who might be looking at the uk . Well, inward investment here to the Northern England where i am standing and you know well has actually gone up and you know well has actually gone up significantly in the last ten years, comparing the last five years to the previous ones, weve overtaken london in terms of direct foreign investment. And that was largely because of the Northern Powerhouse vision that 0sborne had committed connect across the pennines. Take that line away and that will undermine confidence in investing here in manchester, the times reported this morning that actually planning applications and the proximity of the stations in the depot had gone up 400 , compared the rest of the West Midlands and research they had seen. So, when you look at the evidence, there clearly is an economic benefit associated with hsz, is an economic benefit associated with hs2, there have been trading of prices and cost but fundamentally this government hasnt managed this project particularly well. They have at the price up to keep their own members and constituency mps happy, they have put the price up byjust half a billion in the last few months with a rishi sunak premium, so by delaying elsewhere costs and putting up the expenditure, she thinks it is financially literate, i agree with her, the government is responsible for the increasing cost of this railway, largely. And International Markets have a role to play as well. The government need to take responsibility for that and rather than telling us in all that we need to make do with filling in some potholes they would already fill in, it is time to deliver hs2 in full, Northern Powerhouse rail in full, and work with andy street, work with sadiq khan, work with mayors here in the north to deliver here in the country, to raise wages here in the country, to raise wages here in the north, because he cut spending on infrastructure, or you are doing is saying it is ok in the north for people to earn eight grand lesbian people in the south. It is for us to have earn eight grand less than people in the south. What i want to do is make this part of the country more prosperous. Rishi sunak was to manage his own medical future, he was to minimise damage in the general election, he was to keep people happy. The challenge is doing the big things, as gordon brown has said, as David Cameron has said, along with george osborne, as theresa may and borisjohnson has said, not a group of people that agree with very much, this is in the national interest, this Prime Minister more worried about running away from borisjohnsons legacy, on hsz mpr, he away from borisjohnsons legacy, on hs2 mpr, he is trying to distance himself. That is not a freddy rash credible strategy, that is that is not a credible strategy, that is rishi sunak being weak. He hasnt got anything to put it in his place. He either has to only record of the government he was a key part of in the treasury or he needs to accept the treasury or he needs to accept the fact that he has already lost the fact that he has already lost the next general election, that he is simply out of touch with what people here in the north ont, with a red wool. People here in the north ont, with a red wool people here in the north ont, with a red wool. Very quickly, because im out a red wool. Very quickly, because im out of a red wool. Very quickly, because im out of time. A red wool. Very quickly, because im out of time. If a red wool. Very quickly, because im out of time. If they a red wool. Very quickly, because im out of time. If they scrap a red wool. Very quickly, because im out of time. If they scrap it im out of time. If they scrap it tomorrow, could it be picked up and could labour get behind it and rebuild it . I could labour get behind it and rebuild it . Rebuild it . I think that many business rebuild it . I think that many Business People rebuild it . I think that many Business People are rebuild it . I think that many Business People are already| rebuild it . I think that many Business People are already thinking who is going to be running the country in six months because as long as the legislation is in the commons, part of the hs2 bill, and as you rightly say, will power and authority train from this Prime Minister, will businesses in liverpool talk to people they think they will be in government and almost ignore the sideshow of someone who may well be looking for his people t5 if he miss judges they mood of the public and the reality of economics. I mood of the public and the reality of economics. Mood of the public and the reality of economics. I can tell how angry ou are. Of economics. I can tell how angry you are i of economics. I can tell how angry you are. I understand of economics. I can tell how angry you are. I understand there of economics. I can tell how angry you are. I understand there are i of economics. I can tell how angry you are. I understand there are a | you are. I understand there are a lot of supporters up there. I ieei lot of supporters up there. I feel very disappointed lot of supporters up there. I feel very disappointed in lot of supporters up there. I feel very disappointed in him. Lot of supporters up there. I feel| very disappointed in him. Always aood to very disappointed in him. Always good to talk very disappointed in him. Always good to talk to very disappointed in him. Always good to talk to you, very disappointed in him. Always good to talk to you, thank very disappointed in him. Always good to talk to you, thank you i very disappointed in him. Always | good to talk to you, thank you for coming on the programme. It might explain in part why the Chancellorjeremy Hunt flew to manchester this week rather than risking it with the trains. Though whether it is really the 30 minute Journey Conservative lord frost claims it to be, will be disputed. As will his suggestion that the best way to link london with manchester is to put on more flights. But the chancellors ducked every question about hs2 preferring instead to focus on the key announcements he had travelled to manchester to make, among them a rise in the National Living wage to 11 pounds from next april. A pay rise for nearly two million workers. New penalties for those on benefits, who are not actively seeking work, a cut by a fifth to the numbers in the civil service, and as expected he ruled out any sizeable tax giveaway, until inflation is brought back under control. We promised in our manifesto to raise the National Living wage to two thirds of median income, ending low pay in this country. At the moment, its £10. 42 an hour, and were waiting for the low Pay Commission to tell us next years recommendation. But i confirmed today, whatever that recommendation, well increase the National Living wage to at least £11 an hour next year. Thats a pay rise for 2 million workers, and the wages of the lowest paid, over £9,000 higher than they were in 2010, because if you work hard, the conservative government will always have your back. Lets go to ian watson in manchester, ijust lets go to ian watson in manchester, i just wanted lets go to ian watson in manchester, ijust wanted to make sure he was there. It was a great switchover. You are probably listening to henry from the Northern Powerhouse partnership who has invested so much time on hs2, i think when activists will be questioning why the conservative party have let this over shadow the chancellor makes peter dain the rest of the conference. That chancellor makes peter dain the rest of the conference. Of the conference. That is the ruestion of the conference. That is the question and of the conference. That is the question and interestingly of the conference. That is the question and interestingly it i of the conference. That is the | question and interestingly it is of the conference. That is the i question and interestingly it is a question and interestingly it is a question to be asked in some parts of government as well because i spoke to some in government who is pretty much convinced that the northern part of hs2, that leg between birmingham and manchester, will be cancelled. And sadly what he and others were campaigning for behind the scenes last week was for the announcement to be made last week. They knew there was no ideal time to make this announcement. Perhaps i could wait until the Autumn Statement next month but given that the conferences going to be in manchester, they were pushing for rishi sunak to make their decision last week and at least it might have been a story that lasted one day rather than clouding the entire conference. But of course didnt happen and Downing Street are still insisting that no final decision been made. Now there seems to be three camps, those who would be delighted if hs2 was cancelled, another lot who are basically saying just give us certainty, we just need to know, cancelled or otherwise, and they are pressing the Prime Minister to make his own views there this week in manchester, the third group who are basically filling the vacuum by arguing all over again that hs2 should go all the way to manchester. It means there is even coverage for a labour mayor of Greater Manchester at a conservative conference, he was speaking at a fringe meeting alongside conservatives, they clash made a few hours ago by the conservative mayor and the West Midlands, andy street, he said this was a once in a Generation