Cameron says A1 upgrade would be priority for Tories

Mar 14 2008 by William Green, The Journal

UPGRADING the congested A1 Western Bypass will be a top priority for any incoming Conservative Government, David Cameron has signalled.

In an exclusive interview with The Journal, the Tory leader indicated that major improvements to the Western Bypass are likely to be among key transport schemes that could be “green-lighted” if he becomes Prime Minister.

New high-speed rail links are also being seriously investigated because they could transform the region’s economy, Mr Cameron said ahead of his party’s spring forum in Gateshead today and tomorrow.

But the Tory leader claimed “instant” promises were impossible to make because of massive Government borrowing unveiled in Alistair Darling’s first Budget, which came under fire for ignoring the region’s transport needs.

Mr Cameron also sought to reach out to North East voters by stressing that he was “committed” to transforming the region’s economic and social fortunes.

He promised he would not “cut corners” over the nationalised Northern Rock and said it would only be sold to the private sector when it best met taxpayers’ interests.

Ministers should also “bend every muscle” to help retrain Northern Rock staff who could be hit by mass job losses if new bank boss Ron Sandler opts for radical restructuring, said Mr Cameron.

Plans to give parents more flexibility in taking maternal and paternal leave will also take centre stage at the Gateshead forum as part of a drive by Mr Cameron to make Britain the most family-friendly country in the world. Recognising the need for transport upgrades, Mr Cameron revealed he had been caught in “unbelievably bad traffic” during his last visit to the North East and that tackling the problem was key to driving forward regional growth.

He said: “One of the main arteries, the aortas, of the North East is clogged. That is not good for business, it not good for people’s families, it is not good for the environment.”

And there is now a “good chance” the A1 Western Bypass and A1 will be included in a list of key transport schemes that would be taken forward by a future Cameron Government. He said: “We have to listen to people’s concerns. But business and people in the North East are giving me a pretty clear message about those two particular areas, perhaps particularly the bypass issue. So what we are doing is drawing up that list and making sure that upon taking office that we really can before the election give people a real feeling of when things could be green-lit and start,” said the Conservative leader.

Mr Cameron added: “Labour is just taking the North East and other parts of the country for granted so they think they can make endless warm words and never deliver on them.”

The Government’s handling on Northern Rock also came under fire and was branded a “dog’s dinner” by Mr Cameron, although he admitted there were “no easy answers” to finding a solution for its future.