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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Maryam Zakir-Hussain,Andy Gregory and Matt Mathers

Tory Party conference – live: Sunak set to finally confirm he will scrap HS2 rail link to Manchester

PA Wire

Priti Patel and Nigel Farage dance at Tory Party conference

Rishi Sunak is expected to finally confirm he will scrap the HS2 rail link to Manchester as Tory MPs are divided over the home secretary’s controversial speech.

Weeks afterThe Independent revealed he wanted to axe the northern leg of the line, the prime minister is set to confirm it as part of a speech today in which he will also attack the last 30 years of “broken politics”.

He will argue he is the political leader to take the tough decisions necessary for the good of the country, while also accusing Labour of wanting “power for the sake of power” and being “everything that is wrong with our politics”.

It comes as Suella Braverman’s fiery speech on Tuesday has divided opinions after she attracted comparisons to Enoch Powell for claiming a “hurricane” of immigration would sweep across Britain.

Grant Shapps rushed to her defence as the Cabinet minister told Times Radio this morning, saying, “she makes the absolutely correct point we’ve already seen a lot of movement,” while Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP who chairs the foreign affairs select committee, said Ms Braverman had “crossed the line”.

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