Alex Sobel has hailed the news that Channel 4 has picked Leeds for its new national headquarters as ‘a major victory for the region,’ and has challenged the Government to respond by investing properly in Leeds’s transport infrastructure.
The MP for Leeds North West has been very vocal in Parliament, campaigning for this decision. In a parliamentary debate last May Alex Sobel described how Leeds city region already had the foundations needed for the move. He said “We have the infrastructure, we have Sky, we have Perform and we have Yorkshire TV. We have Rockstar Leeds.(…) We have Pace and ARRIS in Saltaire, which power internet and TV for hundreds of millions of people globally. We have the people and we have the infrastructure.”
Whilst Mr Sobel has welcomed the economic boost to the city region and the local jobs that the move will create, he has warned that failure by the Government to invest in much needed transportation links would be a failure to take the steps needed to reverse the gap between our Northern Cities and London which this decision exemplifies.
He said
“I am delighted that Channel 4 have picked Leeds City Region for their national headquarters. This will give the city a huge boost and will provide opportunities for local people. Leeds is a vibrant, international city with much to be proud of. I want to congratulate everyone who has been involved in this bid, particularly council leader Judith Blake for flying the flag for our city.
It is now time for the government to sit up and take notice of Leeds and our potential. We have had serious under-investment in our transport infrastructure for so long now. This would be an ideal time to set down a marker; electrify the Harrogate line and see to an early delivery of big infrastructure projects such as our new parkway train station at the Airport.”