Hodges has been extremely critical of Labour since 2010 though, as Chris says he is clearly on the 'right' of the Labour Party. So I think he has earned the right to be listened too by the right as he isn't a propagandist for the left.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre
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HS2 will definitely go ahead from London to Birmingham. It’s the onward sections that are an issue. Given that many Northerners lent their vote to the Tory’s he can’t be seen to ditch them, so some skilful politicking is required.
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HS2 should just happen now. Just do it.
People are deluded if they think it's cancellation will lead to investment in the existing railway infrastructure in the North instead. The same thing will happen again. There will be years, far beyond this Government's parliamentary term, of public consultation and government case studies before anything is proposed. Then, between 2025 and 2030, when a proposal is put forward it'll be beset by court cases and disagreement with politicians of every stripe opposing it in favour of something else before a final plan is somehow agreed in 2035 and we're all back here in 2040 wondering if it's about to be cancelled.
This country is absolutely
pathetic when it comes to infrastructure projects. It's a wonder we have a Eurostar or M25. How we built the London Underground will become a mystery to future generations of Brits in the same way the Pyramids are now.
It may not be the most optimal use of money but HS2 is a unicorn in that it's a project that is actually being built and has passed all the bureaucracy and nonsense that we throw at any attempt to do anything.
A case in point is a new bridge at the Dartford Crossing on the M25. The tunnel itself, running from South to North, is already a nightmare. For over 10 years they've been having public discussions on how/when/where to build another bridge (to match the one going Clockwise) to help this pressure but as of yet nothing has been decided and ALREADY the demand exceeds the capacity. By the time they start building half of the M25 will be paralysed.