Council leader to challenge party bosses over NPR

Bradford's Reform UK council leader said he hoped to change his party's mind over its opposition to the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project.

Stephen Place said he was willing to make the case for the flagship rail scheme to Reform's national leadership, despite deputy leader Richard Tice previously saying his party would scrap it if the party came to power.

On Tuesday, the government confirmed a new station is set to be built at Bradford Interchange as part of the NPR project.

Speaking to the BBC's Politics North programme, Place said he was "delighted" by the new investment pledge and suggested he may need to discuss the wider stance with Tice.

"I just think for Bradford, as a young emerging city and a young emerging economy, we're going to need some connectivity," he said.

"And so, yeah, maybe I'm going to have to speak to Mr Tice and have a chat with him about it."

Asked whether he was willing to stand up to his party's national leadership if he believed it was in Bradford's interests, he said: "Well, we'll have to have a chat with them and put our case to them and see if we can change their minds."

The NPR scheme was first proposed over a decade ago, but in January the government promised the £45bn plan would go ahead.

Last year, Tice told the BBC a Reform government would scrap plans for NPR, arguing the money would be better spent on other priorities.

He urged companies thinking of bidding for contracts to build new high-speed rail links across the North to "not bother".

In response, the then mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham rejected Tice's comments and suggested Reform wanted a "second-class railway" for the North of England.

In Bradford, where Reform leads the council without a majority, the reaction to the government's latest NPR announcement has been very different.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed plans for a new station at Bradford Interchange during a council-organised business conference at the city's Bradford Live venue.

The announcement follows years of campaigning for better rail connections, as well as setbacks, with the city often seen as having missed out on major transport investment.

They include a previous plan to build a new through station on the site of St James' Market off Wakefield Road, which has now been scrapped.

Place said his administration had been pushing for the Bradford Interchange project since taking control of the council in May and also acknowledged the work done by the previous administration.

"We're not solely responsible for it. Of course not. It's been going on for quite a while," he said.

"I'm absolutely delighted that this has been announced on our watch."

He said the new station could help boost Bradford's economy and create more opportunities for young people.

"We're here trying to drive it, push it forward, make it bigger, better for young people in Bradford coming forward," he said.

"And so we need connectivity and we need to be able to get in and out of the city in a modern way."

While the government confirmed plans for the new station, the long-standing ambition for a "through station", allowing trains to travel across the city rather than reversing out, has not yet been settled.

Place urged the government to make a quick decision on the issue, adding it would be the "icing on the cake" of the rail announcement.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.