Labour MPs are demanding the Government reopen Ashford International station in Kent in a bid to see off the threat of Reform UK and inject up to £2.7bn in economic growth for the South East over the next five years.

The Eurostar interchange closed at the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and has largely sat dormant ever since, despite costing £80m to build.

But a report by the Good Growth Foundation has suggested that reopening the station would deliver more than £534m in growth each year, attracting 500,000 tourists to the region, boosting local restaurants, bars and hotels.

The authors of the report believe reopening the station would act as a boost to towns and villages right across the South East, and would help Labour counter the threat of Reform , which is gaining a footh

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