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UKIP says 'No to HS2'

Friday, 5th August 2011

UKIP is the only political party opposed to the High Speed 2 (HS2) project.

The proposals would see a high speed railway between London and the Midlands, the North of England and, ultimately, Central Scotland. This project is being developed by High Speed Two Ltd, a company originally established by the last Labour government. Since May 2010 the project continues to receive support from the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government. The railway will be built in stages with the London to Birmingham section being the first stage to be completed. If the plan is approved then construction work could start in 2017 with the first trains running eight years later. It is currently estimated the project will cost in excess of £33billion.

Two UKIP MEPs have been particularly vocal in their criticism of HS2. UKIP Leader Nigel Farage is a MEP for South East England which includes Buckinghamshire, a county which will see much of its beautiful countryside butchered in the first stage of HS2. He says the project is "undesirable, unwanted and unloved".

He added: "It beggars belief that in the depths of a financial crisis the government should embark on spending such a large amount. I think it's the wrong wrong decision, at the wrong time and in the wrong place."  

Paul Nuttall, Deputy UKIP Leader and MEP for North West England also condemns the plans. He said: "What are the real benefits of this project? There are none. It is predicted that HS2 will knock half an hour off the journey from London to Liverpool. Big Deal. I do not believe that those extra 30 minutes are vital to the economy of the North West. This may be a good idea one day, but in the current challenging economic times the expenditure can hardly be justified."

UKIP is opposed to HS2 on financial and environmental grounds. To find out more, click here: http://stophs2.org

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