Revised HS2 Is the government right or wrong?

[cyril evans awaydays]

Cyril, I don't work for the govt. I don't have that information to hand and this is a football messageboard not a maths test.

I do think that multiple projects (some very large, some small) serving multiple communities is a better use of money than one huge project to get between Manchester and Birmingham about 20-30 minutes quicker.

Money is finite. You've already acknowledged the projects mentioned are welcome so just accept that not every thing can be done and decisions on spending are sometimes needed.

I don't think HS2 was the most pressing need for the country, nor do the govt, nor do millions of voters. Next week we should find out whether the Labour party do or not as they will have to make a call on it too.

My mistake I thought you had the facts at your fingertips when you were stating that potential funding allocated in the 2029 to 2040 period (ie beyond the election after next) on trams massively outweighs that provisionally allocated to fix the appalling state of our roads as they will further be in six years time.

If you want to think this as some grand strategic plan of transport regeneration rather than blowing the dust off a hotch-potch of business cases that have been stopped and binned (and in some cases already delivered!) by the Conservative administration in its various guises over the last 13 years then I can't stop you.

I guess the history of mothballing of the majority of these "projects" in the past gives pause for thought if they will ever be rekindled should a) the money become available to start them in 2029 and b) the decision making be in the hands of the Tory who dusted them off.

As you say, we will see how Labour reacts to this rather obvious exercise in cynicism from the Crosby/Levido school of electioneering.