Labour politicians urge Chancellor to reconsider dualling A1 in Northumberland
Leading Labour politicians in Northumberland and the North East have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for the A1 in Northumberland to be fully dualled.
With eight lives lost in accidents on the stretch of road in the county already this year, North Northumberland MP David Smith, Hexham MP Joe Morris, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Northumberland County Council Labour Group Leader Scott Dickinson have asked for the major investment.
In Autumn 2024, the current Government scrapped a scheme to dual 13 miles of the road between Morpeth and Ellingham after predicted costs spiralled to more than £500million.
That followed a string of delays in granting the final approval under the Conservative Government, with the green light only coming after a general election had been called.
The four politicians explain in the open letter to the Chancellor that her recent review of the criteria that the Treasury uses for value for money investments “has led to a greater emphasis on place-based benefits and social value”.
It also includes the following: “This means that broader economic and social benefits of infrastructure projects can be considered when the Government is making investment decisions.
“We must start to recognise the enormous human cost of this dangerous road – which has claimed eight lives already this year and impacted many more.
“The dualling of the 50 miles of A1 between Morpeth and Berwick is a totemic issue for Northumberland and increasingly for the wider North East.”
Separately, Mr Smith said: “The A1 is not safe enough. I have always wanted dualling in the long-term and my short-term focus has been on securing sensible safety improvements from Morpeth to Berwick. We need and deserve both.
“Now we’ve got some initial improvements secured, we can turn our attention to getting the much larger investment the road ultimately needs. I want dualling to be part of the conversation for the sake and safety of my constituents and all who use this major road.
“Finally, I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to our emergency services, for their unwavering skills and expertise in handling so many tragedies this year. They are the unsung heroes of this moment.”