Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has officially cancelled "the rest of the HS2 project" which was due to incorporate Stockport. 

Speaking at the annual Tory conference, the Prime Minister said: "I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project and in its place we will reinvest every single penny [£36 billion] in hundreds of new transport projects."

Instead of a new line from Birmingham to Manchester, HS2 trains will use existing West Coast Mainline running through Stockport. This will not be a high-speed line.

Mr Sunak continued: ""Every region outside of London will receive the same or more government investment than they would have done under HS2, with quicker results".

This announcement was met from cheers and applause from the conference audience in Manchester. 

Cllr Mark Hunter, leader of Stockport Council, said: "In my view this decision is an unmitigated disaster for the north of England. A once in a lifetime opportunity to invest properly in our rail infrastructure is being thrown away by a Conservative government desperately trying to cling on to power by any means necessary.

"Liberal Democrats have consistently supported HS2 and will continue to demand proper funding for our creaking transport infrastructure"

Cllr David Meller, leader of Stockport Labour Group, described the announcement as a 'massive, massive disappointment'.

Cllr Meller said: "I think Levelling Up, as far as Stockport and Greater Manchester are concerned, seems effectively dead in light of today's announcement.

"My concern now is capacity. How on earth are we going to handle not just mainline trains, but also HS2 on the same lines?. It could have serious knock on effects for us here in terms of capacity and existing services."

William Wragg, MP for Hazel Grove, said laconically: "The only thing worse than a white elephant is half of one."

Cllr Matt Wynne, leader of Edgeley Community Association, said: "The whole point of HS2 was to free up capacity on the West Coast Mainline for regional and commuter railway services and make the network fit for the 21st century, now it looks like it's coming through Stockport?

"We've already got trains queuing up waiting to go in to Piccadilly when Edgeley residents go in to Manchester for work."

Tom Morrison, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Cheadle, said: "Scrapping HS2 is the worst decision for my constituents in Cheadle. The Conservatives can claim they we will reinvest the money in our transport system, but I don't believe them. All they have done over the last 10 years is cut our public services to the very brink."

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