A Labour minister was left floundering in a bruising live interview after failing to explain key details of one of the Government’s flagship infrastructure projects. Junior minister Emma Reynolds was grilled by broadcaster Nick Ferrari on LBC after the announcement of a £590million funding boost for the long-delayed Lower Thames Crossing — but was unable to say where the tunnel begins or ends, or how much the full scheme will cost.
The 14.3-mile tunnel is planned to run between Gravesend in Kent and Tilbury in Essex, relieving pressure on the existing Dartford Crossing. It is expected to cost more than £10billion in total — making it the UK’s single most expensive road scheme to date. Ms Reynolds said: “You’ll forgive me, I can’t recall the landing zone,” before referring vaguely to the Government’s broader ten-year infrastructure strategy.
When Mr Ferrari pointed out the information was in the press release, she replied: “It’s the Lower Thames Crossing, which has been in planning for many years.”
Mr Ferrari responded: “You don’t know where a bridge starts, you don’t know where it ends, and you don’t know how much it costs. Is there much point continuing this conversation?”
Ms Reynolds replied that the Government’s contribution was “crucial to unlocking this project” but when pressed again on the overall cost, she simply said: “It’s several billion.”
Mr Ferrari corrected her: “It’s £10billion – to put you out of your misery.”
The £590million Ms Reynolds announced on Monday is just a fraction of that cost. The money comes from a new £1billion “structures fund” intended to fix or upgrade transport links across the country — including around 3,000 bridges that cannot currently take the heaviest vehicles.
In total, the Government hopes around £6.3billion of the tunnel’s overall cost will be funded by private investment, with the rest coming from public money. Ministers have already spent more than £1billion on development and planning.
The project has been delayed for years amid growing concerns over its cost and environmental impact.
National Highways submitted its Development Consent Order in 2022, but the latest forecasts suggest construction will not start until 2026 at the earliest, with completion not expected before 2031.
Mr Ferrari then turned to the Hammersmith Bridge — which has been closed to vehicles since 2019 due to safety fears — asking whether any of the new £1billion fund would be allocated to fix it.
Ms Reynolds said she could not comment on individual bridges but insisted the money was “for exactly that type of infrastructure”.
Mr Ferrari replied: “One key one is Hammersmith Bridge, and you don’t know whether any of these funds are going towards it. Is that correct?”
She said: “Further detail will be set out in a statement to Parliament.”