Former Prime Minister David Cameron issued a savage rebuke to Rishi Sunak just 41 days before his return to frontline politics.
Mr Cameron blasted Mr Sunak for ditching the northern leg of the HS2 high-speed rail project claiming he was losing “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” by making the “wrong” decision.
His comments came in a social media post on October 4, when he warned the cuts would make it much harder to build political consensus for long-term projects in the future.
Mr Cameron’s post on X read: “Today’s decision on HS2 is the wrong one. It will help to fuel the views of those who argue that we can no longer think or act for the long-term as a country; that we are heading in the wrong direction.
“HS2 was about investing for the long-term, bringing the country together, ensuring a more balanced economy and delivering the Northern Powerhouse. We achieved historic, cross-party support, with extensive buy-in from city and local authority leaders across the Midlands and North of England.
“Today’s announcement throws away fifteen years of cross-party consensus, sustained over six administrations, and will make it much harder to build consensus for any future long-term projects.
“All across the world, we see transformative, long-term infrastructure projects completed or underway. They show countries on the rise, building for future generations, thinking big and getting things done.
“I regret this decision and in years to come I suspect many will look back at today’s announcement and wonder how this once-in-a-generation opportunity was lost.”
Another former Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson replied to the message saying “I agree”.
HS2 will now run from Euston to Birmingham but will not extend beyond the West Midlands.
Instead, Mr Sunak promised to use the £36billion worth of savings for the project to fund other transport schemes.
