The final two UK wide parties to publish their manifestos have both re-iterated their opposition to HS2.
The Green Party includes their view of HS2 as part of the Transport section of their manifesto:
“Invest in regional rail links and electrification of existing rail lines, especially in the South West and North of England, rather than wasting money on HS2 and the national major roads programme.”
UKIP’s view on HS2 is the most prominent of all the manifestos, with their opposition coming in several different parts of their manifesto. Under transport they say:
Rail travel is essential but HS2 is not. This High Speed Rail project is unaffordable, requires massive borrowing, will blight people’s homes, and destroy valuable habitats. Spending £75 billion just to save a few minutes between London and Leeds is ludicrous and, we think, unethical.
UKIP will put HS2 out of its misery. We will invest in upgrading existing main line services to create additional capacity, expand electrification, and improve east-west rail services and connections across the north of England. This will be infrastructure that genuinely supports the economic and industrial regeneration of the region. A slogan, ‘ The Northern Powerhouse,’ achieves nothing.
UKIP also recognise the environmental damage down by HS2 and as part of their plan to protect ancient woodland they say:
Major infrastructure projects will be required to give much more respect to irreplaceable natural habitats. HS2 is a prime example of this: we will scrap HS2 and ensure no infrastructure project will ever again be allowed permission to wreak such catastrophic environmental damage.
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Surrendering candidates did not try to save your demises.
How many times have your newts been counted for vast expense whilst your services shrink. May the UK find better governance by changing to reality and wake up from the HS2 fears to thousands of people on the route communities.
Vote against the current plan please.
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Philip Hammond gets cost of HS2 wrong by £20bn in radio interview
The Independent-18 May 2017
Philip Hammond told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that HS2 will cost the taxpayer £32bn, when in fact it is expected to cost more than …
When Justine Greening says two negotiations with EU and With IMF if…. The nation needs to be concerned. HS2 wrong plan at wrong time. Cameron Hammond Greening Osborne McLoughlin and others with Clegg were not competent to assess the full aspects of a railway without a master plan for communities development and planning. Topsy turvey approach will crucify the nation not transform it. Time to pause and replan as another quits post. What a mess.