The Labour party is reported to have “has “watered down” a previous plan to scrap smart motorways.

The Daily Telegraph says the party will instead carry out a “review” of the roads if it wins the general election.

The report says the party has previously called on the Government to restore hard shoulders to smart motorways, branding the highways as “not fit for purpose” and “putting lives at risk”.

It says now Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, is only committing to a “review” of the controversial highways quoting her as saying: “Labour will review the evidence to determine whether existing smart motorways are fit for purpose, and will deliver a new, comprehensive road safety strategy to save lives and make our roads safer for everyone who uses them.”.

(File picture – Northamptonshire Police)