People will understandably be disappointed by the revocation of the Development Consent Order (DCO) – confirmed earlier this year. However the reality is that dualling was never going to happen under the last Government. The previous Conservative Government cynically announced the scheme days before an election, yet leaked documents show Department for Transport staff were ordered to stop work on dualling back in 2021 and funding was pulled four years ago. 

My team and I spend hours travelling on the A1 every week and know its flaws. My focus is on securing sensible safety improvements from Morpeth to Berwick. Dualling remains the long-term ambition, but it’s not a silver bullet; tragic accidents have occurred even on dualled sections and safety concerns go beyond dualling alone. 

There have been no meaningful upgrades on the A1 for a decade, with all other work stood down while dualling was under consideration – a project the Conservatives had 14 years to deliver but failed to do. 

Since being elected, I’ve been pushing for safety improvements during ongoing discussions with Government Ministers and National Highways. I’m pleased that detailed options for upgrades on the southern section between Morpeth and North Charlton have now been drawn up, and work is currently underway on phase two to assess the northern stretch up to the Scottish Border. 

I will be lobbying hard to secure funding to address dangerous junctions as part of the upcoming Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), which is due to be announced in the first quarter of next year. 

My priority is to make the A1 safer, and I’ll continue working relentlessly to secure the upgrades our communities need.