MERSEYSIDE’S business and political leaders will today lobby Transport Minister Sadiq Khan in another attempt to revive the stalled Merseytram scheme.

They will meet Mr Khan during his visit to the city for the Core Cities Conference taking place at the BT Convention Centre.

Last week, Liverpool city council’s opposition leader, Cllr Joe Anderson, and Knowsley council leader Cllr Ronnie Round pledged to “go the extra mile” to explore funding options for Merseytram ahead of next month’s City Cabinet meeting.

The councillors organised the meeting with Mr Khan and see it as a not-to-be-missed opportunity to impress on him the strong business and economic case for the tram.

But the minister wrote to Merseyside leaders to pour cold water on the plans only last month. He said the £400m-plus project had missed a crucial funding window and that local authority partners “need to look carefully at their continued development of the scheme”. More than £70m has already been spent on the stalled project without a single track being laid.

But, undeterred by Mr Khan’s letter, a weighty delegation has been rounded up to press home the strength of feeling in favour of the tram, which would run from Liverpool to Kirkby.