Transport minister Sadiq Khan denies “killing” Liverpool's Merseytram

Nov 4 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

TRANSPORT minister Sadiq Khan yesterday claimed he had been “misinterpreted” in a leaked letter which appeared to kill off Merseytram.

Mr Khan met a Liverpool delegation, including Professor Phil Redmond, senior politicians, and business leaders yesterday as the region attempts to revive the ailing £400m-plus project.

The minister told the delegation he now planned to write a second letter to “clarify” his position.

Labour leader Joe Anderson was upbeat after the meeting and said it was now up to Merseyside to show a united front to lobby for Line One from Liverpool to Kirkby.

But Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley was more downbeat, and said Mr Khan’s original letter had been “quite clear” and he thought the region’s leaders would find it “difficult” to commit to spending money on the scheme at the moment.

Mr Khan’s letter, revealed in the Daily Post, said Merseytram had missed a crucial funding window and that local authorities “need to look carefully at their continued development of the scheme”.

The minister was in Liverpool yesterday to address the Core Cities Conference held at the BT Convention Centre.

During the speech, he praised the way Merseyside took the issue of transport seriously, adding: “Even though trams are not quite there yet.”

After his speech, he sidestepped the media, refusing to be drawn on the question of Merseytram.

Cllr Anderson said: “It was a really positive meeting, the tram is back on track.

“We are determined to drive it forward to make sure it happens.

“He was saying that it is up to us to make the case.

“The people that make the decisions need to be convinced that there is enough strength of feeling behind it.”