North East politicians repeat calls for Government to reconsider A1 Dualling, after another fatal collision
A Northumberland MP has added his name to calls for the Government to reconsider plans to dual the A1 - after another fatal collision this week
Last updated 26th Jun 2026
North Northumberland MP David Smith has said the A1 “should absolutely” be dualled after a spate of fatal accidents. It is the first time the MP has explicitly called on the current Government reconsider its decision to scrap the scheme since he was elected in 2024.
Mr Smith has co-signed a letter to current chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for the case for the project to be reopened alongside key Labour figures Hexham MP Joe Morris, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson. It comes after an accident this week brought the death toll on the road to six in the space of a month, adding to two more people killed earlier this year.
In a statement, Mr Smith said: “Dualling the A1 is a difficult, expensive and long-term project to complete. And it should absolutely be done.
“As a community we have an ask that gets more urgent every day. Too many lives have been lost or harmed over the decades, and this year has been particularly devastating. That’s why I’ve joined my fellow local Labour leaders in writing to the Chancellor and urging her to reconsider and support dualling.
“I’m pleased we have safety improvements funded and upcoming, but I also want us to aim high and work for a better future where we have the same investment in this key road as other parts of the UK. Finally, I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to our emergency services, for their unwavering skills and expertise in handling so many tragedies this year.
“They are the unsung heroes of this moment.”
Mr Smith has previously called for safety improvements on the route. He had previously said that dualling was the “ultimate goal” but that it “wouldn’t be happening in the short term”.
Labour abandoned proposals to dual 13 miles of the road between Morpeth and Ellingham in 2024. That came after the Conservatives did give the go-ahead – but only after numerous delays and with a general election called.
The letter to the chancellor read: “We are writing to urge you to give serious consideration to the long-overdue dualling of the A1 through Northumberland, a project of growing importance not only to local communities but to the economic future of the wider North East and North of England.
“Your recent review of the criteria that the Treasury uses for value for money investments has led to a greater emphasis on place-based benefits and social value. This means that broader economic and social benefits of infrastructure projects can be considered when the Government is making investment decisions.
“We thank you for this review. Given this important shift, we believe there is a compelling case for the Government to revisit the dualling of the A1 through Northumberland as a strategic infrastructure priority.
“The scheme has the potential to strengthen connectivity, drive economic growth, improve network resilience, and unlock significant opportunities across the North East.
“The dualling of the 50 miles of A1 between Morpeth and Berwick is a totemic issue for Northumberland and increasingly for the wider North East. It is an issue decades in the making, which successive governments have failed to substantially address
“Many residents across Northumberland view the incomplete route as evidence that rural northern communities are consistently overlooked when major transport decisions are made. While H52 continues to be allocated tens of billions of pounds in public resources, a far smaller amount of funding has not been found to improve the main route from London to Scotland: a route with long single lane stretches, dangerous junctions and, most worryingly, a growing death toll.
“If this Labour Government that is doing so much investment into public infrastructure could make progress on the A1 we could save countless lives, restore confidence and cement our role as the champion of our Northern communities.
“The changes that you have made to the investment rules provide an important opportunity to take another look at the dualling of the A1 throughout Northumberland.
“Above all else though, we must start to recognise the enormous human cost of this dangerous road which has claimed eight lives already this year and impacted many more. For all of these reasons, the A1 will remain a significant local and regional campaign topic going forward. Northumbrians are looking for action rather than further studies or delays.”
Coun Glen Sanderson, the Conservative leader of Northumberland County Council, has pushed for a cross-party campaign to back the dualling project.
He said: “The county council has already begun to build the case. We have to have it based on proper evidence, which is what we are putting together.
“I want to show that we’re doing this and we’re taking it seriously. We have to keep it non political and have it evidence based.
“By ,late summer, we will have the evidence, so instead of just words we will have the figures and the facts that show the level of serious crashes is unacceptable for a road of this length and status.”