In the early hours of this morning, Chris Howe, who runs the Yes to HS2 blogspot announced on Twitter, the publication of a document which he calls “Stop HS2 myths”.
I’ve glanced through it, and it is entirely typical of some of the other things he posts, where when Stop HS2 reference material published by HS2 Ltd, Chris calls them “myths”.
Take for instance, HS2 Ltd’s claim that 22% of passengers on HS2 will only travel because HS2 is built. This comes form the 2011 documentation from HS2 Ltd, which also says that only 6% of passengers will have shifted from air, and 7% from road.
Chris’s reaction to us quoting this is
“The whole idea behind HS2 is to persuade people to switch from carbon intensive forms of transport such planes and cars to less carbon intensive forms of transport which includes High-Speed trains.”
So 13% from other forms of transport, and 22% of entirely new journeys, leaving 67% of HS2 passengers transferring from conventional railways. But because Stop HS2 reference something HS2 Ltd themselves say, suddenly according to Chris it’s a myth.
Similarly he complains about our use last year of the term “vegetation free zone”: like he says this came from HS2 Ltd documentation, and it was only through the efforts of Stop HS2 and others, that HS2 Ltd now say there may be something other then bare earth.
Stop HS2 efforts are vital in holding to account not just Philip Hammond, but also HS2 Ltd themselves.
Pro Hs2 campaigners know we will be at the House of Commons for the HS2 debate: expect lots of their propoaganda to appear today.
No Penny, give me some credit, I run the independent national YestoHS2 campaign, the YestoHS2 is just a small part of that campaign the actual StopHS2 myths document is on the YestoHS2 web site.
I am not questioning your perceived grasp of the facts you the way to prefer to public interpret them.
Chris, when we posted yesterday that you ran the Yes to HS2 blog, you are the one who suggested it was “another stop HS2 myth” in the comments.
I’m not sure whether I should be flattered of offended that you refuse to acknowledge YestoHS2 as a campaign and try and dismiss it as simple blogspot. Another Stop HS2 myth perhaps?
The fact that I have several jobs and still find time to tackle the claims made by StopHS2 says something about my commitment to the YestoHS2 campaign.
It is interesting that you now try justify your claims by saying that they have helped clarify details. The “72m no vegetation zone” remained on your site long after documentation proving this was not the case was published, yet it was only changed recently on the site.
Your assertions are beginning to get surreal, Chris.
You run the Yes to HS2 blog on blogspot.
We say you run the Yes to HS2 blogspot.
You say that when we say that you run the Yes to HS2 blogspot that’s a Stop HS2 myth?