Victoria Derbyshire, a BBC journalist, has been praised after she held a Tory MP accountable following the announcement that HS2 plans had been cut back.
After starting the interview by asking MPs for Penistone Miriam Cates about Stocksbridge Miriam Cates (MP for Penistone), the presenter was applauded for her manner of questioning. “Why are you betraying the North?”Put her on the back foot.
From there, it went downhill. Cates responded: “We’re not betraying the North.
“I think that if you tell people they’re being betrayed and they’re being left behind and that promises are being broken and they’re not getting what they expected then it’s not surprising when they read those headlines and are fed that narrative that they’re upset.”
Derbyshire interrupted the conversation and stated: “It’s not a narrative, it is a fact that the prime minister has promised certain things in terms of the rail infrastructure for the north of England, and it is a fact that he is now scrapping them.”
Cates said she didn’t know the full details of the plan but said it was the “biggest transport investment programme in a century”They also wrote some lines about it. “levelling up”.
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Derbyshire stated that it was crucial to have a prime Minister “keeping his promises”.
After Cates said “our promise is to level up,” Derbyshire said: “Let’s be accurate here. The promise was to build a high speed rail line between Nottingham and Leeds, that’s now not happening. The promise was – and I can give you the prime minister’s own words if you like – the promise was to build a fast train line from Leeds to Bradford to Manchester.”
This announcement comes just days after the government announced the scrapping of the Leeds leg on the HS2 high speed rail line. Prime Minister said that the overhaul would allow for faster travel, up to 10 years sooner than originally planned. He also denied claims of breaking promises made by Keir Starmer, an opposition leader. “total rubbish”.
Cates asked, “Forget who was interviewing whom?”“Do you think that HS2 Eastern leg is the best option for my constituents?”
Derbyshire was quick to respond: “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m talking about your prime minister’s promises which he seems to keep on breaking.”
She continued: “I’m going to give you his exact words, if I may.
“’I want to be the prime minister who does with Northern Powerhouse Rail… what we did for Crossrail in London and today I’m going to deliver on that commitment to that vision with a pledge to fund the Leeds to Manchester route.’”
Slam dunk.
People reacted to the clips posted on social media and thought Derbyshire was very meticulous.
Cates won’t be looking forward to her next broadcast appearance after that.