Leigh Ingham

Leigh Ingham

Labour — Stafford

Speaking in the House of Commons on 17 March 2026

Debate

Productivity and Economic Growth: East Midlands

Contribution

I want to out myself: I am a west midlands MP, not an east midlands MP. But what my hon. Friend is speaking about is a structural failure of transport across the east and west midlands. The east midlands receives 54% of the UK’s average transport spend per head, which is the lowest of any region or nation in the country, but for rail that figure is 40%. As I often say, I can get from Stafford to London in about an hour and 10 minutes, but if I want to get across to one of the other east midlands cities—Derby, Leicester or Nottingham—the picture is completely different. We have built excellent lines up and down the country, but the lack of lines across the country is really holding back the development of the wider region. Does she agree that to maximise growth in both our regions, we have to invest in rail from east to west?

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