Should the government reinstate the cancelled high-speed rail link between Birmingham and Manchester?

The northern leg of High Speed 2 (HS2) was cancelled by Rishi Sunak in 2023 due to soaring costs, leaving the line to end in Birmingham. Proponents argue this betrays the 'Levelling Up' promise, leaving the North with crumbling Victorian infrastructure and insufficient capacity for freight and passengers. Opponents argue the project was a money pit (over £100bn) and the funds are better spent on smaller, local transport projects like 'Network North' that deliver faster benefits to more people.