It’s been a journey to get our ‘dual the A1’ campaign to the build starting line. Back in 2006, I started proving the case for dualling, by first getting our road reclassified so it could be considered for national funding. Everyone told me it couldn’t be done. In 2015, when I was first elected, I got £293 million committed to fund the first 13 miles of dual carriageway. Since 2015, we have worked tirelessly with Highways England to get a route design, consultations, land acquisitions, ecological and archaeological works done – £67m spent to date for these works – and all this done before final planning application could go in for approval.
Financial support during Covid and energy price hikes prioritised funds, with over £500 billion to support the poorest through those pandemic and cost-of-living pressures – but the A1 has remained on the Conservative Party’s priority list throughout.
Following further delays caused by environmentalists challenging road investment (even in the Northumberland Gazette in April, environmentalist groups called for its scrapping!) the granting of the final planning approval is fantastic news for our local communities, businesses, emergency services and tourism. (I know some question the timing just before an election, but this decision date was set last September!)
Now planning has been granted, so we can get the diggers in. I have campaigned for this decades-awaited upgrade since I became your MP. Relentlessly in the ear of every Minister and Prime Minister – with the much-appreciated help from every constituent who signed one of my many petitions to show how strongly we feel. Steering a gigantic £293 million infrastructure project underway requires long-term championing, but I have proven that if you keep at it, it will happen.
The environmentalists were wrong about the A1 – congested traffic is far worse for our environment – but protecting our landscape and promoting sustainability has rightly been one of my priorities.
Delivering on our Net Zero Strategy, which I wrote when Energy Minister, is critical to global sustainability. I will continue to ensure we deliver on our promises in practical ways that ensure homes are more energy efficient, our transport systems keep getting cleaner, and we build the domestic, nuclear energy production we need. Given our blustery North Sea winds, it is reassuring that the world’s top five largest offshore wind farms are already here in the UK. Alongside this we are rolling out of the massive tree planting programme I championed.
We were the first government to address sewage spills from storm overflows. We only know the scale because it’s the Conservatives who cared enough to check. In 2010, a pitiful 7% of overflows were monitored for discharges. This is now 100%. We made new laws to reduce this, fine water companies unlimited penalties (re-invested in water infrastructure) and water bosses have a bonus ban if they commit serious criminal breaches. Getting the infrastructure built and working is now critical. The plan is working, so let’s stick with it. I hope I can count on your support on Thursday 4th July.
