A leaked draft of Labour’s manifesto pledges to nationalise the railway industry and take HS2 to Scotland, as well as borrowing billions to fund infrastructure.
The BBC said Labour will pledge to bring the railways back into public ownership as franchises expire and repeal the Railways Act 1993, which privatised the network.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigning
It will also promise to freeze rail fares, bring in free wi-fi across the network, end the controversial driver-only operation of trains and improve accessibility for disabled people.
The Guardian reported that Labour plans to complete HS2 from London to Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Scotland, which is further than current plans for the high-speed rail link.
Labour also wants to borrow £250bn to invest in infrastructure ‘but stick to the fiscal credibility rule to balance day-to-day spending’, and to deliver 100,000 new council houses a year.
The leaked document does not appear to be the final version of Labour’s manifesto, which is due to be published shortly and has yet to be formally approved by the party’s leadership.
Andrew Gwynne, Labour's national campaigns co-ordinator, described the document as a draft list of ideas.
He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: ‘The point is today the whole of the shadow cabinet, the executive committee and other stakeholders are meeting to go through what will become our manifesto.’
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
