AN MP has renewed her plea for Government to scrap the 'inflated white elephant' that is HS2 and save the country billions.

Esther McVey said the soaring costs of the project could be better spent, especially given the current climate.

Speaking in Prime Minister’s Questions, the Tatton MP set out her opposition.

She said: "Earlier this week the Prime Minister said you cannot spend your way out of inflation, you cannot tax your way into growth and we will cut the cost of Government. I completely agree.

"Therefore, can I suggest a strong start would be that he stops the inflated white elephant that is HS2, in turn saving the Government tens of billions of pounds from a budget spiralling out of control."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said HS2 benefitted the levelling up agenda.

"With HS2 what it will do is deliver long term growth and prosperity for the whole of the country, uniting and levelling up, deliver more revenues and put us in a better position to cut taxes in the future," he said.

According to the Department for Transport the cost has risen to close to £100 billion. When the line was first proposed it was argued it was needed to shorten journey times between London and the North and increase capacity on the rail network.

But Ms McVey, who has always opposed the line and worked with constituents affected by it, said 'now more than ever' it was not needed.

She said: "I have always said the money should be spent on improving local rail infrastructure not on reducing 20 minutes off a journey time to London.

"Since Covid this ridiculous project has become even more redundant as the way people work has changed.

"People are having meetings online, saving both time and money travelling.

"This money would be better spent on making lives better for hardworking families and a start would be reducing taxes now and putting more money in people’s pockets."