Andy Burnham Welcomes Boris Johnson Plan For North Of England

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has welcomed plans by Boris Johnson for a major rail link between Manchester and Leeds.

Greater Manchester's Mayor, Andy Burnham, has welcomed an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a major rail link between Manchester and Leeds.

He welcomed the plans as an example of how the North of England is increasingly becoming the focus of politicians in London.

He said: "Finally the people here are getting the focus they deserve from the London-centric political system.

"It's around five years to the day that George Osborne came here and made a very similar promise to the one that the Prime Minister will make later today.

"But he [Johnson] is saying it three days into office, and that is different, and it is a Prime Minister saying it.

"What I'll be doing is looking very closely to see that there is proper action to follow these words."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Government backing for the project, known as Northern Powerhouse Rail, in a major speech in Manchester.

The plans were announced as part of a £2bn package for the most deprived cities in the UK.