Tory Andy Street 'threatened to quit as mayoral candidate if Boris didn't approve HS2'

Senior Tory Andy Street threatened to quit as mayoral candidate for the West Midlands if Boris Johnson did not give the green light to HS2 reaching Birmingham, it is claimed.

Lord Berkeley, deputy chairman of the PM’s review into the high-speed rail link, claimed the mayor piled pressure on Mr Johnson to proceed.

But Mr Street, hoping for re-election in May, failed to turn up to meetings and missed a key hearing about the costs, he alleged.

Despite the opposition of dozens of Tory MPs, the PM is expected to approve the first stage of the high-speed line from London to the Midlands today.

The HS2 construction site at Euston Station in London pictured in August last year (PA)

It is believed he will stop short of agreeing the second phase to Manchester and Leeds, which will anger leaders in the North.

Mr Street denied he had threatened to resign.

But HS2 critic Lord Berkeley, who claims the link could cost £106billion, told the Daily Mirror: “He threatened to resign as candidate for mayor if Boris doesn’t go ahead.”