Rachel Reeves' £15.6bn pledge to transform Northern transport with metro and tram expansions in major cities

Rachel Reeves is announcing a £15.6 billion boost for public transport in the North and Midlands.

Metro and tram expansions are planned for Tyne and Wear, Manchester, the West Midlands and Yorkshire.

The Chancellor says the UK needs a new economic model that invests in every region. She’ll also change funding rules, which critics say are biased towards London.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker revealed more about his plans to expand the transport network in the region.

He said: “Our plans and ambition for a new tram network, a new line, that will connect Birmingham City Centre, through Digbeth where Steven Knight wants to build a film studios, up to the sports quarter, and beyond that through East Birmingham and North Solihull to Arden Cross. It's a bold ambition that supports our ambition for growth and our ambition to attract private sector investment and develop opportunities for people across the region."

B&M sales dip and oil and gas jobs warning: More Business in Brief

• WH Smith says like-for-like travel sales increased five per cent in the last quarter, with UK growth helping lift performance. The retailer remains on track to meet full-year expectations, and is upbeat ahead of summer. The sale of its high street arm to Modella Capital is set to complete by the end of June.

• B&M says UK sales dipped last year as cautious shoppers and weak wage growth hit spending. Like-for-like revenues fell 3.1 per cent, though new stores helped lift total sales to £4.5 billion. Pre-tax profits dropped 13 per cent to £431 million over the year.

• The UK’s oil and gas workforce could be halved in the next few years. A Robert Gordon University report says 400 jobs could go every fortnight under slower green transition plans. That’s the equivalent of closing the Grangemouth refinery every two weeks. Jobs could fall from 115,000 to just 57,000 by the early 2030s.

• British steel and aluminium exports to the US will keep a 25 per cent tariff - for now. Donald Trump has doubled rates for other countries, but the UK secured different treatment in a recent deal. Industry welcomed the move, but warned uncertainty remains, with changes possible from July. The UK government said it was “pleased” firms won’t face higher tariffs at this stage.

• North Face and Cartier are the latest brands hit by cyber attacks, with customer data stolen. Names, emails and account details were accessed - but no financial information was affected. North Face says a “credential stuffing” attack let hackers into some customer accounts. Details such as purchases, addresses and phone numbers may have been exposed.