Regional Transport Inequality

Jo Platt Excerpts

Thursday 11th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Platt (Leigh and Atherton) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson) for bringing this really important debate to the House.

Growth goes where growth is, but when transport is inefficient, access to opportunity is limited. Leigh and Atherton, once thriving industrial hubs, now sit between Manchester and Liverpool, alongside towns such as St Helens, Warrington, Wigan and Salford, yet we remain locked in outdated transport systems. Roads built around our mills and factories are now clogged with ever-increasing traffic. This is not just a local issue. The gridlock we face is a shared burden and a shared injustice. Leigh ranks in the top 1% nationally for transport related social exclusion. In my constituency, over 40,000 people—37% of residents—face a high risk of exclusion due to poor transport; that is twice the north-west average, and nearly five times that of Greater Manchester. Poor connectivity and an over- reliance on cars are isolating our most vulnerable older people, disabled residents and low-income families. People are being trapped in cycles of poverty and missed opportunity.

I have spoken to residents who set off three hours early to make a hospital appointment. Others turn down college places or job offers simply because they cannot afford a car, and opportunity is out of reach without one. That should not be the case, and it does not have to be. We must invest in accessible, sustainable transport—walking, cycling, buses and trains—across every region, not just where the growth is.

Greater Manchester is a shining example of the first stages of the transformative impact that transport devolution can deliver. Over £30 million is being invested in safer, cleaner transport through the Bee Network. Services such as the V1 and V2 buses in Leigh and Atherton are vital, and the planned new railway station in Golborne is a huge step forward. But we must go further. Without reliable and inclusive transport, access to jobs, education and healthcare remains a postcode lottery. I welcome the discussions to expand Metrolink to areas such as Salford Crescent, Wigan and Leigh. Those investments must continue.

There is also the proposal to connect our two great regions, spearheaded by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram. With the Greater Manchester economy growing faster than the UK’s as a whole, after their recent comments I say to the leadership of Reform, who are not in their seats, that we have proven what ambition backed with investment can achieve for our region. It is transport infrastructure that is driving that success. We on this side of the House will not let short-sighted politics stall the north’s momentum.