Is the East Midlands being neglected again with scrapped road schemes?

"I'm not just disappointed. I'm angry."

East Midlands mayor Claire Ward is not the kind of politician to go on the attack, but her response to the proposed cancellation of not one, but two major road schemes in her patch to allow money to be diverted to defence spending speaks volumes.

It's reflective of a long-held view in the East Midlands: that the region is often overlooked, even forgotten by Whitehall, underfunded and under-appreciated.

For many politicians and business leaders in the region, the news felt depressingly familiar.

Ward felt she'd been making progress on behalf of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, securing, for example, £2bn of funding for local transport projects in last year's Spending Review.

So what has gone wrong?

Governing is about priorities, of course, and Sir Keir Starmer had been under intense political pressure to provide more funding for the armed forces.

Unveiling the Defence Investment plan, the prime minister said schemes that "were important, but not immediately vital" would be shelved.

So far, the government has only earmarked two projects for cancellation, but both are in the East Midlands - upgrades to the A38 in Derbyshire and the A46 Newark bypass in Nottinghamshire.

To say this has raised eyebrows in the region is an understatement, with the Newark MP, Reform UK's Robert Jenrick, describing it as a "total slap in the face".

Claire Ward denies this is a personal failure on her part and insists she was not consulted at all about the decision.

She says she only heard about it "shortly before" the prime minister gave his speech.

"This is not the way we should be governing," she said.

It is worth pointing out that the defence industry plays an important role in the East Midlands economy, with Rolls-Royce a major employer in Derby.

Military drone start-ups from the East Midlands had been calling for extra support from the government and could also stand to benefit.

The road schemes are not universally popular, either, and local campaign groups have long argued against them on environmental grounds.

Paul Smith, who chairs the parish council in the village of Winthorpe, near the A46 Newark bypass, says "a lot of people are relieved".

Smith accepts the need for an improvement, but says it has to be the "right improvement", and now believes there is now an opportunity to rethink the scheme.

Some in Derbyshire have a similar perspective, with the leader of Derby City Council, Nadine Peatfield, questioning whether the A38 scheme is still the "right plan."

Business groups, meanwhile, stress the economic importance of resurrecting the projects in some shape or form.

Richard Blackmore, director of policy at East Midlands Chamber, says "conversations" need to happen to "ensure something goes ahead."

Claire Ward insists she will "continue to make the case" that the region she represents has been unfairly treated.

She may also hold out hope that a change of prime minister could bring about a change of heart.

Earlier in the week she praised Andy Burnham, who is widely expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, for his speech promising "growth in every postcode".

Burnham, however, will have to find even more money in the Budget later this year to fund the Defence Investment plan.

Robert Jenrick, who hopes to be Reform UK's first chancellor, says the proposed cancellation of the project in his constituency "makes a mockery" of Andy Burnham's commitments.

Jenrick says he's had assurances from Nigel Farage that a Reform government would fund the A46 improvements.

The shelving of these multimillion-pound infrastructure schemes poses a challenge for Andy Burnham, as he hopes to boost Labour's prospects in a region where Reform have been making major inroads, pardon the pun.

The East Midlands' political significance is not in question, with the region containing many of the kinds of constituencies that decide who ends up in power.

Supporters of the former mayor of Greater Manchester believe he can appeal to voters in left-behind areas.

But after a difficult week for the East Midlands, he may have his work cut out to win over arguably the most downtrodden region of them all.

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