UK's finance minister Rachel Reeves will confirm a £15.6 billion ($21.1 billion) investment in transport projects outside London later on Wednesday, aiming to address years of under-investment in regional infrastructure. The funding, announced in Manchester, marks the first commitment from the government's June Spending Review, covering budgets through 2031/32. It includes upgrades to underground networks in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, the North East, and South Yorkshire, plus the first mass transit system for West Yorkshire. The investment, largely reallocated from a cancelled high-speed north-south rail project under the previous Conservative government, is intended to boost productivity in cities struggling with outdated transport links. Jonny Haseldine of the British Chambers of Commerce said the projects will provide businesses with greater confidence to invest locally. The Institute for Fiscal Studies called the spending review "one of the most significant domestic policy events" for the Labour government. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: M. S. Salama
