IN her speech about the HS2 railway line plans at the House of Commons Leigh’s new MP Jo Platt was like her predecessor Andy Burnham, trying to perpetrate myths in misrepresenting the positive progress our Conservative Government has made in improving transport across the north west.

It was fake news as we are in the middle of the biggest transport investment in the north west for many decades on both our road and rail networks.

Despite claims to the contrary, including centrally funded and locally delivered projects, the Conservative Government is spending more per head on transport investment in the north west than in the south east.

In the next few months a new bypass fund will enable up to £1 billion a year to be spent across the country, including the north west, on bypasses for towns that have missed out on investment.

In the 13 years the Labour Party was last in office it cancelled more road schemes than it completed.

And on local railways since 2010, despite the aftermath of Labour’s financial crash, the Conservatives have electrified nearly three times more miles of railway within Greater Manchester alone than Labour did in 13 years of office across the whole country.

Under the new Northern Rail/TransPennine franchises, every train in the north west will be replaced or refurbished.

Instead of the fake news of Miss Platt and Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham these are real improvements that Labour failed to deliver in 13 years of office.

Derek Bullock

Westhoughton