Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has backed Liverpool’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
Last week, it emerged that Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson had written to Culture Secretary John Whittingdale to outline his intention to bid for the event.
The proposal has been warmly welcomed by current Labour leader, Corbyn, who was in the city to lend his support to Labour councillors ahead of the impeding local council elections on May 5.
He said: “The Commonwealth Games bid I welcome. It’s [Liverpool] as far as I know the only UK city that’s applying, and it sounds to me like a really good idea.
“It certainly did a lot of good in other cities where it’s been held, and it’s traditionally known as the friendly games – and good luck to Liverpool in that.”
And the 66-year-old MP for Islington North suggested that Liverpool should also benefit from the government’s controversial HS2 project- a high speed rail link that, as it stands, is set to bypass the city.
He added:“At the moment HS2 would end some distance short of Liverpool. There has to be consideration of a proper connection to HS2 otherwise Liverpool would get bypassed on this, that’s a danger.
“But also HS2, which was controversial itself, does free up rail capacity, so we could increase the amount of freight on the existing West Coast mainline because some of the passenger traffic would move on to HS2.
“Clearly this is some years away, because the building work is yet to begin. But we have to think in the long term, of continuing huge levels of rail investment across the whole of the UK, not just in London and south east – and I say that as a London MP.
“HS3 connectivity also has to be finalised. But crucially Liverpool has to be connected.”