“Have you got a point to make, Game to play, Bones to move…
…Don’t Ruin Me”
Large parts of the beautiful English countryside featured in this video will be destroyed by HS2…. is it something that you need?
Music written and performed by John Bonney
Photographs by Keith Hoffmeister & members of HS2 action groups.
The HS2 Select Committee fails to back petitioners’ requests to support a fully bored tunnel which would protect the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty from the blight and devastation of HS2.
Martin Tett, Conservative Leader of Bucks County Council, is interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio by Roberto Perrone, 22nd July 2015.
This is the second of two new videos from Camden, pointing out just what people in the community will have to endure if HS2 is built.
The London Borough of Camden which is densely populated, will severely suffer in the decades of HS2’s construction. Air pollution, vibrations, noise, electromagnetic radiation, dust, sewage and rodents, traffic gridlocks, accidents, subsidence, and last but not least, emotional stress as seen here. It will be 24/7 for many many years.
This is the first of two new videos from Camden, questioning the need for HS2 especially given other things which may be cut due to austerity.
Historically, austerity measures have not been shown to work. To take away the Independent Living Fund which is the lifeline for people with various disabilities, seems inhuman given the willingness to spend on HS2. The government say that the HS2 has a separate budget, and that the budget for the existing railways is also ring fenced. Does anyone really believe that?
With AP2, there is another round of petitioning, with a deadline of 14th August. Here’s our video guide to petitioning:
Last week, HS2 came up on the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Any Answers’. No surprise that both members of the public were not convinced, and made convincing arguments against it.
In the last week, both Lord (Nigel) Lawson and Alistair Darling, two former Chancellors of the Exchequer have reiterated their opposition to HS2, suggesting the cuts to Network Rail projects are as a direct result of spending on HS2.
What Alistair Darling warned would happen two years ago. I believe the correct phrase now would be “I told you so!”.
We’ve not only put together those clips, but added some from when the pair first came out against HS2.
Besides holding the post of Chancellor, Darling had previously been Secretary of State for Transport, and as such he warned back then that if so much money went on HS2, there wouldn’t be the money for the rest of the rail network.
These words from almost two years ago now seem extremely prophetic, given the recent ‘pausing’ of Network Rail projects.
BBC Sunday Politics (Yorks & Lincs) interviews Greg Mulholland (LibDem, Leeds North West) and Craig Whittaker (Con, Calder Valley) Interview by Tim Iredale, 28th June 2015.
A selection of TV and radio reports from this week
This coming week the HS2 Hybrid Bill Select Committee have visits to the Chilterns (Monday 22nd) and the Buckingham constituency (Friday 27th). In addition, MPs will debate the recently announced Additional Provisions on Tuesday 23rd.
Earlier this month HS2 Select Committee MPs visited The Chilterns & Aylesbury to see the areas that would be permanently affected by HS2 if it gets built.