Rail proposal set to spark Tory revolt George Osborne's attempts to bolster Britain's growth potential will run into a full-scale Tory revolt in his own backyard next week, as the coalition unveils the northern route of the new high speed rail network. With the economy sliding back towards recession, the chancellor hopes to use Monday's formal launch of the planned high-speed link to Manchester and Leeds as proof that he has a long-term strategy for growth. Britain's economy shrank 0.3 per cent in the final quarter of last year, piling pressure on Mr Osborne. Earlier in the week Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, admitted the coalition had initially cut too much from capital programmes. Mr Osborne insisted on Friday that he would "confront" the UK's economic problems and not "run away" in response to the disappointing GDP data. Splits emerged around the cabinet table on Tuesday over the coalition's austerity programme, with some ministers arguing against a fresh round of cuts for 2015-16. The government has already announced the route of a High Speed 2 route from London to Birmingham, scheduled for completion by 2026. Senior ministers will on Monday unveil the project's second leg, a "Y-shaped line" connecting Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds via Sheffield by 2033. Mr Osborne sees the scheme as proof of a long-term infrastructure strategy and an attempt to narrow the north-south economic divide. But it has not impressed Tories living along the proposed route in the chancellor's well-heeled Cheshire seat of Tatton, despite plans to track it alongside the M56 motorway as much as possible to minimise its impact on the area. "It could be an enormous issue for [Mr Osborne], a large part of his support is around this area," said Frank Keegan, ward councillor for upmarket Alderley Edge. I don't see why you should rip up all this countryside and spend £40bn just to take 20 minutes off a journey. The Tory councillor added there would be a "big controversy" if a new route was built through Tatton: "It will be blighting a lot of houses. There would be almighty resistance to that line, [and] it will be resistance like you've never seen before. Industry sources who have seen the route confirmed that it would pass through Tatton. George Walton, Tory mayor of Cheshire East, described the area as "lovely rich agricultural countryside" which could be scarred by the "absolutely massive project." "There would be ... public outrage if it went across any of our local countryside, which is rich farming land," Mr Walton said. We already have the M6 slicing through the area. The route must be properly considered and put to the public first or it will be very problematic from a public acceptance point of view. But the project will be received warmly by many business leaders and council chiefs in the north. Mike Blackburn, chairman of the Greater Manchester local enterprise partnership calling it a "huge shot in the arm for the economy."