🚆 The Know Daily - Tuesday 3 October 2023

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More than 16,000 pupils in state schools across England will soon have access to new musical instruments and equipment, thanks to a grant from the educational charity Restore the Music UK. “It’s a great opportunity for us to express ourselves,” one pupil told BBC London.

🚆 Off the rails?

PM Rishi Sunak has said he “won’t be forced into a premature decision” on the future of HS2, following widespread reports that he is set to axe the line’s Birmingham to Manchester leg.

What’s the story?
Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Sunak insisted that the government has “absolutely not” given up on HS2 - but refused to be drawn on the future of the high-speed rail project’s northern link.

Concern and speculation over HS2’s future has so far overshadowed the Tory conference and dominates today’s front pages. “It’s become clear - courtesy of leaks and briefings rather than any announcement from the government - that the northern leg probably won’t go ahead,” said the BBC’s chief political correspondent, Henry Zeffman.

Why has HS2 proved so controversial?
HS2 was intended to transform public transport between London, the Midlands and the north - but it is “becoming synonymous with political football, disappointment, delays and spiralling costs”, said Sky News. Some estimates now put the price tag at over £180 billion - far higher than the 2019 estimate.

The PM will “frame his decision” as evidence that he is “willing to take unpopular decisions” for the long-term interest of the country, said The Guardian.

But reports of the northern leg’s cancellation have provoked an outcry from regional politicians and senior Tory figures. Andy Street, the Conservative mayor for the West Midlands, told reporters last night that Sunak was in danger of “cancelling the future”.

What should we be looking out for?
The PM is due to call an emergency cabinet meeting later today, where ministers are expected to give approval to the scrapping of the northern leg. The line is now expected to terminate at Euston in central London, rather than at Old Oak Common, as reports had previously suggested.

While we will likely have to wait until Sunak’s conference speech on Wednesday for any definitive answers, questions have already been raised over what the PM may offer instead. “An expanded Northern Powerhouse Rail project linking northern cities and fresh cash for potholes and bus routes could be announced to soften the blow,” said Sky News.

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