Local Southport MP Damien Moore has argued for the role that strengthening transport infrastructure plays in creating more highly-skilled, highly-paid jobs in Southport, and in ensuring that those qualified and willing to work these jobs remain local.

Speaking in a panel discussion on “A Northern Skills Base for the Future”, hosted by the Northern Research Group at its inaugural conference in Doncaster, Mr. Moore argued that transport infrastructure such as the Burscough Curves and Manchester Piccadilly direct rail link are crucial not just for visitors, but also for ensuring that Southport’s young people have in our town the opportunities that they need to get on in life, and in particular the skills for the jobs they want.

This, as Mr. Moore said, is where “fantastic” places such as Southport College are key, as these show young people that they can still get a good, well-paid job without having to leave town and go to university, and instead by pursing T-Levels, apprenticeships, and other vocational qualifications locally.

Since being selected as Southport’s Conservative candidate in 2014, Mr. Moore has consistently raised the issue of the Burscough Curves. In April this year, Mr. Moore hosted local business leaders, regional MPs, and the Chair and CEO of Transport for the North at Southport College, as local stakeholders such as the Preston & Southport Travellers Association came together to promote the case for the Burscough Curves, among other proposals.

In addition, Mr. Moore has repeatedly argued for the Southport – Manchester Piccadilly direct rail link to remain, given Manchester’s position as a central transport hub to the rest of the UK. To this end, Mr. Moore continues to meet with Ministers to argue his case, in addition to the case for the Burscough Curves, both issues he has raised in Parliament on numerous occasions.

Damien Moore, MP for Southport, said:

“To level up Southport, we need to further strengthen our regional transport infrastructure. As a seaside town with a strong hospitality economy reliant on visitors, it is only by increasing rail capacity that we can truly unleash Southport's economic potential across a diverse range of sector.

“Our £37.5 million Town Deal has brought a string of fantastic new projects along, such as a state-of-the-art events centre, and so we now need to work non-stop to make it as easy as possible for people to get to our town’s wonderful attractions and facilities. But we also need highly-skilled jobs in our local area filled by those coming out of local education, with the skills to match, so that we retain our town’s talent.

“This is why I launched the campaign for the re-instatement of the Burscough Curves, which will link Southport to both Preston and Ormskirk with direct rail links. I frequently meet with Government Ministers to argue for this proposal, in addition to raising it in Parliament on numerous occasions, and working together with local stakeholders, in particular the Preston & Southport Travellers Association, to make our vision a reality.

“If we are sincere in our desire to level up Southport, then we must succeed in strengthening our town’s connectivity to our region and indeed to the rest of the country. I am proud of the progress we are making, and confident that Southport's best days are firmly ahead of us.”