The Policy Exchange have just published a report looking into voter’s attitudes on a range of issues.
For the research, they asked people questions on different topics – including whether they thought “building the high speed rail line from London to the North is a good use of money”.
The answers are clear: more then half the people surveyed thought HS2 was a poor use of money. And in particular 53% of Northerners think HS2 is a waste of money, in contrast to less then a third who thought it a good use of money.
Across the country as a whole, 52% disagreed with the statement on HS2, and only 30% agreed with it.
A few months ago, politicians were claiming that HS2 would end the North-South divide, and it looks like it has – both north and south think it’s a waste of money.
You can download the report and the supporting information from the Policy Exchange website.
Leaving aside all other considerations for the moment, we simply can’t afford Hs2. Every penny will have to be borrowed and Britain is already vastly in debt. The estimated costs do not include interest on the borrowing, rolling stock, the rebuilding of Euston, hubs or extensions (to Heathrow, for example). Whatever your views of this project most impartial financial institutions have looked on it with the utmost scepticism. Add to these reservations the contagion of bankruptcy now spreading across Europe and you might feel it is best to hunker down. No more should be spent until, at the very least, the costs and cost-benefits are scrutinised with far more acuity than has been done so far. If you doubt me, ask yourself one question, would you invest your own money in Hs2, would you buy shares in it? Because if it goes ahead you will be, possibly to the tune of £1,500 for every household in Gt Britain.
HS2 AS SAID THEY CAN NOT AFFORD ANY MORE MONEY FOR COMPENSION AND MITAGTION ANY MORE CUT AWAYS OR EXTRA WORK NEEDED THEN WHY START A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE WITH OUT THE PROPER FUNDS IN PLACE IT MAKES NO SENCE
how can justine greening be in charge of speding 32billion of tax paying public funds when she can not look after our boarder controls at airports she makes comments about moving our woodlands we need boris johnson to have a word and put her back in her box before any more money is waisted on hs2
@davis
For your information
Justine Greening is the Secretary of State for Transport – she is responsible for managing govt. transport policy
Theresa May is the Home Secretary, responsible for internal affairs within England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship (which includes Border Control policy) for the whole of the United Kingdom
The concept of HS2 is a smokescreen for an already wealthy group of people to trough out on the taxpayer and grow even wealthier.The Westminster Club sees what it wants to see. Members of the public only admitted at election time.
Unfortunately, the 3 major parties blindly support “infrastructure investments” as a way out of the nation’s current penury. That is, throw even more money (which you don’t have) on even more white elephants. Well it worked for the dome – the current operators and O2 seem to be happy they got a bargain. One can only hope their profits are not off-shored. What – pay tax? – but UK is a tax haven – only mugs pay tax.
why can not the goverment see what the general public think about hs2 and what a waste of money it is costing it would far better to be spending the money on projects making jobs for people now not in 2026
Most of them still don’t really know what it’s about. Their leader says it’s good, so it must be good. God borbid they should think for themselves and even worse question what their leader says. If they should dare vote against him/her it’s good bye Westminster and the career. Democracy ends at the ballot box. The rest is the closed shop old boys network and ‘Look aren’t I clever, Daddy would br proud, I’m climbing up the ladder.’
Moral values and reason are dispensible and come cheap to them. Like a herd of sheep, if they put up a united front it must be right. (Sorry sheep, I’m maligning you!)
Not surprised when–
–bcr keeps falling and will probably end up below 1:1 and £750 milliion will be spent this parliament
–hybrid bill will only cover Lon to Bham
–no consultation yet for Y route and they dont take notice of the results so far
–no evaluation of opportunity costs
–all regions need many jobs now
–etc.etc.