Comment

Jim Steer, Non-Executive Director and Founder, Steer

At the January 24 meeting, Chris Grayling spoke for 15 minutes without notes, spelling out why HS2 was needed in full. He is a believer - his enthusiasm for north-south high-speed rail dates back to the 2005-07 period when he was shadow Secretary of State for Transport.

Some of his colleagues have other views. Some don’t like large-scale public spending commitments (Liz Truss, founder of the Conservative Party’s Free Enterprise Group, might be one such), while others (such as the current Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom) have local constituencies affected by the project. But, remember, the Conservatives committed to public funding of HS2 as long ago as September 2008.

At the Westminster meeting, it was great to hear a strong grouping of regional bodies representing the North and the Midlands, and MPs speaking with a united voice across party political divides. For some, the uncertainties of Brexit may provoke even greater determination to hold on to national infrastructure projects, especially now that Phase 1 of HS2 is under way.

The North’s and the Midlands’ ambitions to improve crossconnectivity between regional cities will change the service plans on (and the connections to) HS2. But this should strengthen, not weaken, the case for Phase 2.