SUPERTRAM DECISION A 'DISGRACE' AND ENSURES NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Nov 2005

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, national PTEG Parliamentary spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and a leading campaigner for the Supertram scheme has today reacted with anger over the government decision not to give Leeds the planned Supertram scheme.

Commenting on the government's decision, Greg Mulholland said:

"This is a sad day for Leeds. This short sighted decision will hold up the economic development of Leeds for years to come and is symptomatic of the way this government has failed to deliver on public transport over the past eight years.

"It's a disgraceful way to treat the people of Leeds and makes a mockery of the government's regional economic policy.

"While the government has happily bankrolled a new £500 million pound ticket office for Kings Cross in London and an incredible £11 billion for the Crossrail scheme which would pay for 30 Supertram schemes, Leeds transport system has been left facing a bleak future.

"This is a government that for the past eight years has only been interested in public transport development in London while ignoring the great northern cities like Leeds. They have ensured that the great north south divide has continued to widen in the 21st Century.

"Leeds is the biggest city in Europe without a rapid light rail system or underground. The government has turned its back on the growing problems of congestion and pollution and it is impossible to see how they will be solved without the Supertram.

"Following this decision it's likely developers will start pulling out of projects in different parts of the city, throwing many of the cities ambitious and vital development plans into disarray."