Row erupts after Labour council ‘considers spending taxpayer cash on 90 zero-emissions buses from China instead of buying British ones’

• It was considered by Blackpool Transport Services, owned by Blackpool council
• It comes two years after Johnson pledged £3billion to buy British-built vehicles

A row erupted last night over claims that a Labour council was considering spending taxpayers’ cash on 90 zero-emissions buses from China instead of buying British ones.

The move by Blackpool Transport Services – owned by Blackpool council – comes two years after bus enthusiast Boris Johnson pledged £3billion to buy 4,000 British-built electric or hydrogen vehicles.

Tory MP Sir Robert Goodwill said of the multi-million-pound Blackpool deal: ‘It’s beyond farcical that UK taxpayer money intended to buy ‘British-built’ buses is to be used to import poorer-quality vehicles from China.’

A row erupted last night over claims that Blackpool Labour council was considering spending taxpayers’ cash on 90 zero-emissions buses from China instead of buying British ones

It comes two years after bus enthusiast Boris Johnson pledged £3billion to buy 4,000 British-built electric or hydrogen vehicles

Sir Robert, chairman of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said the Department for Transport had been ‘asleep at the wheel’, adding: ‘Ministers and Labour’s Blackpool council need to get a grip.

‘This decision will mean potential job losses in the UK, poorer quality buses for Blackpool residents, and UK taxpayer money ending up in the pockets of the People’s Republic of China.’ 

However, sources said last night that although the proposed bid did contain ‘elements from China’, the preferred bidder was English.

Blackpool Transport Services said: ‘A preferred supplier has been selected. The contract is yet to be awarded.’

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