Westmorland and Lonsdale Conservatives accused of treating public like fools over Lakes Line U-turn

The Westmorland and Lonsdale Conservatives have been criticised after they announced a massive U-turn over the electrification of the Lakes Line.

Back in July, the Government announced that they were scrapping plans to electrify the Lakes Line.

This decision was welcomed by their parliamentary candidate who said the plans were "unnecessary and expensive", which would cause "huge disruption for passengers and local people across South Lakeland".

But the local Tory party have seemingly changed their minds, announcing that they are now in favour of the railway being electrified.

Local Liberal Democrat district councillor Matt Severn said: "The Westmorland and Lonsdale Tories are treating local people as if they were fools.

"But this U-turn is too little too late. They made their position clear when they called electrification a 'waste of taxpayers' money', and their negativity was one the reasons the plans were dropped.

"For them now to come out in favour of electrification is pretty desperate."