Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has praised the Manchester Evening News for its determined campaigning as he confirmed government cash backing for a massive expansion plan for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink tram system.

The paper’s pre-Budget exclusive revealing the good news prompted Mr Prescott to make a special trip to the city yesterday to confirm the announcement, which was originally to have been made later this week.

Years of planning by local transport bosses and an eight-month campaign by the Manchester Evening News paid off with Mr Prescott’s pledge of £289m of aid to guarantee the expansion and make Metrolink “the envy of Europe”.

At his press conference in Manchester, Mr Prescott praised the paper’s campaign, saying: “Every time I come here, the Manchester Evening News has been very much involved in the campaign. They have been pestering me by saying, ‘Will you give us the money?’ and ‘We will be watching you. We will wait to see if you live up to your word’.

“Today I am delighted to come to say I am making this announcement that the Manchester Metrolink extensions can go ahead. That is a total of £500m of investment.”

Metrolink at the moment is believed to take 2.6 million cars off the road. The new Eccles extension will take off another 900,000 and three new lines will take 5.9 million further cars off the roads. Work on the projects could start within a year.

Chancellor Gordon Brown made no mention of Manchester’s tram system in his budget speech this week, and Mr Prescott had planned to make an announcement later this week. But he decided to bring it forward after the Manchester Evening News broke the news exclusively in its later editions and on its website, www.manchesteronline.co.uk, on Tuesday night.

The Deputy Prime Minister later confirmed the news in a telephone call to Manchester Evening News editor Paul Horrocks. He said: “I have never been in any doubt of the value of Manchester’s case. It is a very big, happening city and we have declared it a centre of excellence.

“It is a world leader for us and a good example of how to put heavy and light rail together with imagination. And it has been proved that people leave their cars at home.”

The Manchester Evening News launched its campaign in support of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and Executive last July.

The newspaper’s comment column said the paper took great pride in the vindication of its vigorous campaign.

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