Chain stop . Number 10 does the buck stop . Where does the chain stop . Number10 downing street, some people are saying. Are we now an international laughing stock. A symbol of our decline, broken britain, strong was coming in condemnation. But what do you say . Get in touch and tell us. I look forward to talking to you. Do get in touch and you can call or text us. Defence secretary grant shapps says this could create a Fantastic Levelling Opportunity from diverting funding to other projects. Rishi sunak� s expected to announce in his Party Conference speech today that the birmingham to Manchester Leg of the rail line will be scrapped, while setting out plans for other transport projects in the north of england and wales. Officials in venice say at least 21 people, including two children, were killed when a bus fell off a bridge onto a railway line and caught fire. The governor of the venice region has described the crash as a tragedy of enormous proportions. Large parts of britains rail network will have no service today, because of another 24 hour strike by train drivers. Its part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. And tesco� s reported a big jump in profits for the first half of this year as food prices started to come down. The Supermarket Chain said its doing everything it can to lower prices for customers. Theres actually cross party on this. Never mind the politicians, how are you feeling about it . Andy burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester is absolutely livid, as is the conservative West Midlands mayor andy street, who is said to be devastated by this decision. This is the Conservative Mp and deputy chair lee anderson, a man who sometimes courts controversy, but he said something that will chime in with a lot of people on one side of the argument. He argued that bus services in the north of england are more important than hs2. He said, what good is it, that little old lady looking through the Bungalow Window at the chain going through at 120 mph, a change will never get on because she never goes to london or manchester, or whatever, because she never goes to london or manchester, orwhatever, but she cant even get from her village to the next village for a doctors appointment or to see a friend. What appointment or to see a friend. What a load of nonsense, we need to get our buses and regional connectivity sorted before we think about hs2. It is kind of Direction Of Travel of the government, reallocating the money into infrastructure, but infrastructure that will be in place a lot sina and that will make a lot more difference to the People Living and working there and act sooner. What does this say about our country. Sasha lourdesjoins us what does this say about our country. Sasha lourdes joins us this morning. Good morning. And chair of the stop Hs2 Campaignjoins us, too. Penny gains. We kind of knew it was coming. He will say it in his speech today. How are you feeling about it . Well, we are really hopeful at the moment, well, we are really hopeful at the moment, but obviously we are waiting like everybody else for the actual speech like everybody else for the actual speech to like everybody else for the actual speech to come. The thing is, this is death speech to come. The thing is, this is death by speech to come. The thing is, this is death by 1000 cuts. They have already is death by 1000 cuts. They have already cut is death by 1000 cuts. They have already cut the east legs to leeds. They are already cut the east legs to leeds. They are pausing houston. They dmpped they are pausing houston. They dropped the link to heathrow a long time ago dropped the link to heathrow a long time ago. We think they ought to pull the time ago. We think they ought to pull the plug and just cancel hsz time ago. We think they ought to pull the plug and just cancel h52 in its entirety. The Infrastructure Project its entirety. The Infrastructure Project authority a few weeks ago announced that hsz is at red rating which announced that hsz is at red rating which means it is unachievable. There which means it is unachievable. There is which means it is unachievable. There is the same arguments we have always there is the same arguments we have always said. There is the same arguments we have always said, there is no Business Case always said, there is no Business Case because hsz was always around the idea case because hsz was always around the idea if case because hsz was always around the idea if you could get to meetings in london faster, that would meetings in london faster, that would somehow magically turn into an economic would somehow magically turn into an economic benefit to the country. There economic benefit to the country. There is economic benefit to the country. There is no economic benefit to the country. There is no carbon based case because there is no carbon based case because hsz s own figures has at once because hsz s own figures has at once it because hsz s own figures has at once it is because hsz s own figures has at once it is running it will be 120 years once it is running it will be 120 years before it becomes Carbon Heutrat years before it becomes carbon neutral. And as we have seen, there is no neutral. And as we have seen, there is no money neutral. And as we have seen, there is no money to pay for it. And the cost is no money to pay for it. And the cost is is no money to pay for it. And the cost isjust is no money to pay for it. And the cost isjust going up and up. So we think cost isjust going up and up. So we think hsz cost isjust going up and up. So we think hsz ought to be scrapped in its entirety, but if Theyjust Scrap the leg its entirety, but if Theyjust Scrap the leg they are talking about today, the leg they are talking about today, thats good news for us. What is behind this today, thats good news for us. What is behind this for today, thats good news for us. What is behind this for you . Today, thats good news for us. Twist is behind this for you . What is today, thats good news for us. Ltdisgt is behind this for you . What is the most important argument against it . Is it business, is it practicality, is it connectivity, is that the environment . What is driving you . Me personally, i said from the start that the personally, i said from the start that the alternative to more travel for business and that supper thing is video for business and that supper thing is Video Conferencing. We to say that there is Video Conferencing. We to say that there were children in school using that there were children in school using Video Conferencing to talk to pupils using Video Conferencing to talk to pupils irr using Video Conferencing to talk to pupils in schools abroad, and when they went pupils in schools abroad, and when they went into work and were in charge they went into work and were in charge of they went into work and were in charge of businesses and so on, they would charge of businesses and so on, they would be charge of businesses and so on, they would be doing more Video Conferencing and using digital technology. But as we have found over the technology. But as we have found over the last few years with the pandemic, everyone knows how to use zoom pandemic, everyone knows how to use zoom or pandemic, everyone knows how to use zoom or digital technologies. Everyone is used to Video Conferencing, so a change that we thought conferencing, so a change that we thought was going to take a decade or two. Thought was going to take a decade or two. It thought was going to take a decade or two, it took a few weeks. We really or two, it took a few weeks. We really think or two, it took a few weeks. We really think that is the future. More really think that is the future. More digital technologies. Sasha lord, the world has changed. How are you feeling this Morning Question might night time adviser for Greater Manchester. Haifa might nighttime adviser for Greater Manchester. ,. , might nighttime adviser for Greater Manchester. ,. , might nighttime adviser for Greater Manchester manchester. How significant is this decision . I think manchester. How significant is this decision . I think this manchester. How significant is this decision . I think this is manchester. How significant is this decision . I think this is the decision . I think this is the biggest two fingers up to the north that i have seen in my lifetime, if i am being honest. That i have seen in my lifetime, if iam being honest. I that i have seen in my lifetime, if i am being honest. I cannot understand for the life of me why decisions are being made in hotel rooms when they have not engaged with any of the males of the north, andy burnham, steve rotherham, and so on. Mayers. The irony is not lost on me that the speech is going to be made today from a disused Train Station when the uk is on a day of training strikes. I do agree with lee anderson on the point about buses. If he looks out of his window, he will see that andy burnham has taken the decision to take buses back under public control in Greater Manchester to give those people much Better Services at reduced fares. But this is a very, very bad day, notjust for Greater Manchester, for the north. A few statistics, these are government stats. It would have been worth £9 billion to Greater Manchester stop £24 billion. That is every year, by the way. £24 billion. That is every year, by the wa. ,. , , £24 billion. That is every year, by thewa. , the way. Everyone is Ust Plucking Fiuures the way. Everyone is ust plucking figures out the way. Everyone is ust plucking figures out of h the way. Everyone is ust plucking figures out of the the way. Everyone Isjust Plucking figures out of the air. The way. Everyone Isjust Plucking figures out of the air. These the way. Everyone Isjust Plucking figures out of the air. These are i figures out of the air. These are Government Figures out of the air. These are Government Figures. Figures out of the air. These are Government Figures. Creating i figures out of the air. These are Government Figures. Creating 96,000 jobs, improving capacity and connectivity. What i would say for the business arguments, and i do have a couple of successful businesses in manchester, you cap and spread the cost over several years, and that would easily pay for itself in 6 7 years time. Tiara itself in 67 years time. Two finders itself in 67 years time. Two fingers on itself in 67 years time. Two fingers on to itself in 67 years time. Two fingers up to the itself in 67 years time. Two fingers up to the north. Itself in 67 years time. Two i fingers up to the north. Penny . Itself in 67 years time. Two fingers up to the north. Penny . Yes, it is about optics fingers up to the north. Penny . Yes, it is about optics for fingers up to the north. Penny . Yes, it is about optics for rishi fingers up to the north. Penny . Yes, it is about optics for rishi sunak, it is about optics for rishi sunak, but what it is about optics for rishi sunak, but what we have said. Is it is about optics for rishi sunak, but what we have said. But what we have said. Is it . Lets plug but what we have said. Is it . Lets plug another but what we have said. Is it . Lets plug another figure, but what we have said. Is it . Lets plug another figure, who| lets plug anotherfigure, who knows, £36 billion and he is going to reinvest it in projects that are much closer to the here and now, and will have much more impact on the practicality of peoples daily lives. Why is that bad optics . Practicality of peoples daily lives. Why is that bad optics . Well, that is aood why is that bad optics . Well, that is good optics. Why is that bad optics . Well, that is good optics, and why is that bad optics . Well, that is good optics, and that why is that bad optics . Well, that is good optics, and that was why is that bad optics . Well, that. Is good optics, and that was always the alternative to hsz. The alternative that was originally suggested was a package of a Railway Project suggested was a package of a Railway Project that would bring more benefits project that would bring more benefits to more people more quickly, benefits to more people more quickly, and the other advantage of doing quickly, and the other advantage of doing a quickly, and the other advantage of doing a package of projects is you can adapt doing a package of projects is you can adapt what you are doing. You can adapt what you are doing. You can say, can adapt what you are doing. You can say, we can adapt what you are doing. You can say, we are doing this, this and this, can say, we are doing this, this and this, and can say, we are doing this, this and this, and then we were going to do that and this, and then we were going to do that and that, but it turns out some of the that and that, but it turns out some of the project is a much better way forward of the project is a much better way forward. The thing we have seen with hsz, it forward. The thing we have seen with hsz, it was forward. The thing we have seen with hsz, it was introduced in 2010 under the last hsz, it was introduced in 2010 under the last Labour Government and you still cant the last Labour Government and you still cant catch an hsz chain and you wont still cant catch an hsz chain and you wont be able to until, at the very you wont be able to until, at the very earliest, 2029. It has been so lon very earliest, 2029. It has been so long and very earliest, 2029. It has been so long and there still arent any benefits long and there still arent any benefits to ordinary people. So a Package Benefits to ordinary people. So a package of projects. Things like catching package of projects. Things like catching a bus to the next village. Manchester is like other cities and it has manchester is like other cities and it has really good other Transport Links it has really good other Transport Links. �. It has really good other Transport Links. ,. ,. , it has really good other Transport Links. ,. ,. ,. , links. And what about that customer can ou links. And what about that customer can you have links. And what about that customer can you have both . Links. And what about that customer can you have both . Trans links. And what about that customer can you have both . Trans penninel can you have both . Trans pennine and Northern Rail have not covered themselves in glory in recent years and people complaining. Are people in leeds getting to manchester, people in manchester getting to liverpool, people in liverpool getting to leeds, some people might use quite a strong word, and here is another one it is a farce. Can you make all those along improvements in the north of england and have hs2 . I the north of england and have hsz . I think you can. If there is a conversation about london, then they would certainly have it. I conversation about london, then they would certainly have it. Would certainly have it. I have been heafina would certainly have it. I have been hearing this would certainly have it. I have been hearing this all would certainly have it. I have been hearing this all the would certainly have it. I have been hearing this all the time. Would certainly have it. I have been hearing this all the time. Give hearing this all the time. Give me an example where they have been lavishing money on london. 680 william pounds lavishing money on london. S3di william pounds on lavishing money on london. E3did william pounds on the lavishing money on london. 53did william pounds on the bond street line. Thats fine if you go to birmingham. We would not have budgets like that here in the north. By budgets like that here in the north. By the way, i dont disagree with everything that penny is saying, but i think the Comms Director for the tories should be sacked. Why would you drip feed Something Like this customer also in manchester, leading up customer also in manchester, leading up to the tory conference it is the only topic that anyone has actually spoken about. When you look at Manchester Airport, that at the moment is building a huge Manchester Airport village that is going to create tens and Tens Of Thousands of jobs with the hs2 stop. Create tens and Tens Of Thousands of jobs with the hs2 stop. Jobs with the hs2 stop. There was auoin to jobs with the hs2 stop. There was going to be jobs with the hs2 stop. There was going to be a jobs with the hs2 stop. There was going to be a tunnel jobs with the hs2 stop. There was going to be a tunnel going jobs with the hs2 st