Rachel Reeves MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jul 2025 · Transport Infrastructure Funding · Hansard source

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  The irony is that the last Government made a lot of commitments but did not put any money into delivering them. That is the difference that this Government are making, with fully funded plans to upgrade transport. The Department for Transport now has its settlement and it will look at a number of projects. The mess left by the Conservatives is something we have had to sort out. The Conservatives have not backed any of the measures that we have taken to bring in more revenue, yet, as we have seen, they are very keen on spending the money. That is why we were left with a £22 billion black hole when we came into office a year ago.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Transport Infrastructure Funding · Hansard source

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  I really welcome the fact that the right hon. Gentleman supports the investment that this Labour Government are making in transport and infrastructure after the 14 of years neglect by his party. We have increased transport spending by 1.9% per year in real terms in every year of this spending review period, benefiting all parts of the country, including Yorkshire, where both he and I have the honour and privilege of being Members of Parliament.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Transport Infrastructure Funding · Hansard source

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  It is important that, as this Government put more money into infrastructure, including transport, it benefits companies and jobs here in Britain. It is not right the Scottish Government spend more on buses made in China than on buses made in Scotland. There is nothing preventing the Scottish National party from investing in jobs and growth in Scotland.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Transport Infrastructure Funding · Hansard source

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  The Government recognise the critical contribution that transport makes to our growth mission. The Government increased the capital envelope by over £100 billion at the autumn Budget last year, and by a further £13 billion at the spring statement. Taken together, that represents a big increase in capital investment. As a result, the transport capital budget, excluding High Speed 2, will increase by 1.9% per year in real terms over the spending review period. That investment will improve connectivity in our towns, cities and villages, reduce journey times and increase transport reliability. For areas of transport that are devolved, it is up to the Scottish and Welsh Governments to allocate their funding and be accountable to their respective Parliaments for those decisions.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Transport Infrastructure Funding · Hansard source

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  It was a pleasure to be in Cardiff just after the spending review to look at the difference made by the investment that the Labour Government are putting into transport in Wales. The spending review and the infrastructure strategy recognised Wales’s long-term infrastructure needs and how they have been neglected for too long by the Tory party. We delivered at least £445 million for rail enhancements, which provides funding for continuing to develop and deliver the stations identified in the Burns review, including Newport West and Somerton. Plans for future rail investment in Wales will be made in close consultation with the Welsh Government and through engagement with the Wales Rail Board.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  We are increasing transport investment by 1.9% in real terms after HS2 in every year of the spending review period. We are also extending the bus fare cap, which is particularly beneficial to rural areas.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  The allocations have been made to Government Departments, and the Treasury is not going to micromanage every scheme, so it will be up to Departments to allocate the money in the way they choose. I am sure that the Transport Secretary will come to the House and set out those plans.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend is aware, Bexleyheath and Crayford is a part of the country that I know well. It has huge potential for more homes and more investment. We have set a budget for the Department for Transport. We will set out the 10-year infrastructure plan next week to unlock further investment—both public and private—in housing and transport.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that question. We will build more housing, which is what the investment in affordable homes grants will achieve, and that goes alongside transport investment—significant transport investment—in the west midlands and Birmingham. I was very pleased that my hon. Friend joined me in Birmingham last week, when we were able to celebrate the investment to extend the Metro out to east Birmingham and then to Solihull.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  The allocation has now been made to the Department for Transport. We have not set out every project that that will fund, but I am sure the Transport Secretary will come to this House or the relevant Select Committee in due course.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  Blackpool will benefit from the affordable homes programme, free school meals for children and the roll-out of breakfast clubs. It also stands to benefit from the increase in the local transport grant—a fourfold increase compared with the plans we inherited from the Conservatives.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady started that question wanting to be a builder, and ended it by being a blocker. I suppose that is not surprising, given that the Liberal Democrats voted against the Planning and Infrastructure Bill yesterday, while we Labour Members supported it, because we want to get Britain building and to create prosperity and wealth in all our communities. In today’s spending review, we have provided an integrated settlement for the Mayor of London and a multi-year settlement for Transport for London. We have also supported expansion at City airport, and we have an in-principle commitment to expansion, and a second runway, at Gatwick. This Government are backing London, but most importantly, we are a Government for the whole country. That is why we have announced significant investments across the UK today, which are much needed.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for making those representations to me and to the Secretary of State for Transport on the importance of better rail connections so that people in Bangor Aberconwy and across north Wales can better access good jobs and public services. That is why we have put in £445 million at the spending review.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  In January I gave the Government’s backing to the lower Thames crossing. We have set out the allocation for the Department for Transport and the 10-year infrastructure plan. The Secretary of State for Transport will set out more detail in due course.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  Well, we did announce two new railway stations in Wales today with that £445 million. In the 10-year infrastructure strategy, which we publish next week, we will be setting out more details of investment right across the UK. I am pleased that my hon. Friend welcomes the £118 million for the coal tips work, which I know is so important and which so many Welsh Labour MPs have lobbied me about over the last few months. I am pleased that we can deliver for their communities in Wales.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  We finally have a Labour Government here and in Wales to work together for the people of Clwyd North and across Wales to make those investments, including the significant investments in transport that we have announced today. I pay tribute to all the Welsh Labour MPs who have lobbied me so extensively to get this investment into Welsh rail. I was left with no doubt about what the priority is for the people of Wales: transport investment and investment into coal tip safety. I am pleased to have been able to set that out in the spending review.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  It sounds like it is a pretty good day to be an MP in Burton. We are pleased to be able to make those investments in the midlands rail hub and in nuclear technology. There will also be additional housing investment that will go into Burton and other places across the country. The allocation has been made to the Department for Transport, and the Secretary of State will set out her plans in due course. We will also be setting out more detail in the 10-year national infrastructure plan next week.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source

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  I once spent a day at Thomas the Tank Engine world. I hope that the trains and the tram lines that we are going to be investing in will be a little less talkative and a bit more productive. The reason I mentioned my hon. Friend in my speech today is that he has persistently lobbied for the midlands rail hub, and we are very pleased as a Government to be able to make that commitment today, which will benefit his constituents and many others as well.

• 20 May 2025 · Public Spending: Value for Money · Hansard source

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  I totally agree with the hon. Lady. The plans that we inherited from the Conservative party saw capital spending decline as a share of GDP, which is totally the wrong decision if we want to grow the economy and improve prospects in towns and cities across the north of England. Over the course of this Parliament, we are putting £113 billion more into capital spending so that we can build the road and rail infrastructure, the energy infrastructure, the digital infrastructure and the housing that our country desperately needs. Under our reforms to the Green Book, we will make sure that we get more investment to the places that need it, including towns and cities in the north of England.

• 20 May 2025 · Spending Review: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree, and that is why we have reversed the Conservatives’ decisions to cut capital spending. Instead, we are preserving that capital investment, which means spending £113 billion more on road, rail, energy, homes and digital infrastructure than would have been spent in the plans we inherited. We are also spending on day-to-day things, such as making sure that we have police on our streets, and working with our mayors, including Mayor Steve Rotheram, to ensure we get investment into the places that most need it.

• 20 May 2025 · Northern Towns: Funding · Hansard source

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  I shall make sure that the Transport Secretary hears those requests, but the hon. Gentleman knows that our investment in British Steel, which will save that company, is set to increase the number of jobs there. That will make a massive difference to his constituents, as will the investment in renewable energy in the North sea, particularly around Immingham, creating good jobs and paying decent wages in his constituency and in many others, too.

• 8 Apr 2025 · National Wealth Fund: Regional Growth · Hansard source

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  The Chief Secretary is working closely with mayors, including Oliver Coppard, to understand their priorities for the places that they represent for the purpose of the spending review in June, and will continue that work. At the same time, as the hon. Member for Grantham and Bourne (Gareth Davies) pointed out, we are backing the airport at Doncaster, bringing more good jobs to South Yorkshire.

• 8 Apr 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Hear, hear. I had better declare an interest as a proud Member of Parliament for Leeds West and Pudsey. West Yorkshire combined authority is receiving £830 million for transport spending through round 1 of the city region sustainable transport settlement. That includes £200 million for the development of a mass transport system. For too long Leeds has lacked this. This Government will put that investment in and get those trams running.

• 26 Mar 2025 · Spring Statement · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that question. One of the reasons we have put an additional £13 billion into capital spending over the forecast period is to invest in the infrastructure that our country needs, including transport infrastructure, which I know my hon. Friend, as Chair of the Transport Committee, has a keen interest in. She is absolutely right: we do need to look more at how we can leverage in private sector funding for a whole range of projects, including the lower Thames crossing.

• 4 Mar 2025 · Economic Growth: East Midlands · Hansard source

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  As my hon. Friend says, defence has an important role to play in the growth mission as well as keeping our country safe and secure, and on Friday the Defence Secretary and I hosted a roundtable at RAF Waddington in Lincoln to announce a new defence innovation hub to harness that potential. Defence has a strong presence in many of our constituencies—indeed, according to the most recent data, Ministry of Defence spending in the east of England accounted for £1.5 billion—and down the road from my hon. Friend’s constituency is the historic MOD Shoeburyness range, which, along with other sites, is operated by the MOD and QinetiQ as part of a long-term partnership worth more than £5 billion. In the years to come, there will be more investment in defence from both the public and the private sector.