Former chancellor George Osborne has predicted that the Prime Minister will U-turn on his plans to axe to HS2 leg to Leeds.
The architect of the Northern Powerhouse project and the Conservative chancellor from 2010 and 2016, Mr Osborne told the Financial Times that he expects "electoral pressures" will force Mr Johnson to change his mind when it comes time for another election.
Speaking to the papers' Payne's Politics podcast, he pointed to the number of marginal seats around Bradford and Leeds and said: "Frankly, I don't think high speed rail in the east of England, up to Yorkshire, is dead yet.
"You've had the Labour Party commit very quickly to build it, I think the pressure will grow on the Conservatives because, actually, there are quite a lot of marginal seats around Bradford and Leeds.
He added that it "wouldn't be for the first time – our Prime Minister execute a U-turn" and that he could feasibly see him "come back to promising an eastern leg of HS2, just over a longer period of time."
Mr Osborne's comments follow calls from business leaders and others across the north of England for the Prime Minister to reconsider
In a co-signed letter submitted by northern business leaders to the PM, the group expressed disappointment at the plan announced last week and stated: "As it stands, we do not believe that this plan can deliver either the high performing, productive Northern economy demanded by a Global Britain, nor the levelling up that has been identified as a key goal for your government."
On Friday however, following the publication of the Integrated Rail Plan and government confirmation that the eastern leg of HS2 would be scrapped, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps denied that the government had gone back on its rail promises to better connect the north and the midlands.
He told Sky News last week, "They are absolutely being fulfilled. We are producing that around 30-minute journey from Manchester to Leeds
“When it comes to HS2, we are going to deliver HS2 trains (we are looking at) the best way to do that into Leeds."
Labour, meanwhile, has said anger in the region - particularly in Bradford - is "palpable" following last week's announcement.
Sir Kier Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live:
“People feel very strongly that promises have been made to them and they have just been ripped up. The idea that ‘levelling up’ is anything more than a slogan has absolutely blown away by what happened yesterday.
“The whole point of HS2 was a high speed line going up including to Leeds. The whole point of the promise of Northern Powerhouse Rail was a new line going from Manchester to Leeds.
“Trying to upgrade what you have got is a second-class option for the North.”
Leeds Bradford Airport is set for a standstill as almost 130 workers are set to take industrial action over pay.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Strikes will take place from 03:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
Strike will mean the entire airport will shut down.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Leeds Bradford Airport is very profitable and can more than afford to come back to the table with an offer that doesn't fall short of our members' expectations.
"Our hardworking members should not be paid less than those doing the same jobs at other airports. Workers taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport have Unite's full support in their fight for fairer pay."
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: "We know people who have flights planned to and from Leeds Bradford Airport will be concerned to hear of industrial action, however our members have no choice but to strike.
"The airport is profitable, passenger numbers are growing and our members are a major part of its success. They deserve a fair pay rise, and management must come back to the table to deliver this."
Leeds pizza shop hailed ‘exceptional’ and ‘best in the UK’ by major reviewer
Clementine Hall
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Georgina Pellant -
22nd November 2021 
