Tory voters demand next PM scraps HS2

Poll also shows majority want next leader to take ‘hard, not sympathetic’ line on illegal migration

THE HS2 rail project must be scrapped by the next prime minister, voters have said in a new poll that will put Conservative leadership candidates on notice.

Almost half of the public would like to see work on the £100 billion highspeed line linking London to the Midlands and the North stopped after costs spiralled out of control.

Only 17 per cent of those who backed the Conservatives at the last election think the scheme should go ahead compared with 52pc who now oppose it.

Leadership candidate Suella Braverman, the Attorney General, has previously suggested it should be halted, as has Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, who is yet to declare her bid.

Ms Truss suggested the project was a “white elephant”, while the Attorney General said that ministers should ask themselves whether it was “still value for money”.

Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt have been supportive of the project, while Tom Tugendhat and Nadhim Zahawi voted for it in the Commons, as did potential contender Penny Mordaunt.

A survey by Redfield and Wilton Strategies of 1,500 people, 518 of whom voted Tory in 2019, also finds widespread support for reducing the tax burden on struggling families now rather than focusing on balancing the books.

Just over half (52 per cent) of those who voted Tory in 2019 favour tax cuts, compared with 37 per cent who think the priority should be keeping the budget deficit down.

There is even greater appetite for a reduction in levies among the wider public, with 56 per cent of Britons overall supportive of a reduction in taxes.

The results will concern former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who has pitched his leadership campaign against immediate tax cuts.

In a launch video posted on Twitter, he dismissed talk of “comforting fairy tales”, remarks that were criticised by David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary.

Tory MP Steve Baker, who is backing Mrs Braverman, also issued a warning over the former chancellor’s decision to “double down on the high-tax position”.

But former defence secretary Liam Fox, a supporter of Mr Sunak, said it would be “irresponsible and immoral to spend money today and leave people tomorrow to pick up the bill”.

The polling also reveals a preference for a prime minister who voted Leave rather than Remain.

Conservative voters are three times more likely to select a Brexiteer – 60 per cent – compared with 19 per cent who would prefer a Remainer.

Among the general public the gap narrows, with 42 per cent in favour of a Brexiteer compared with 32 per cent for a Europhile.

Ms Truss, Mr Javid, Mr Tugendhat and Mr Hunt voted Remain, while Mr Sunak, Mrs Braverman, Ms Mordaunt and Mr Zahawi were all Leavers.

A majority of voters want the next government to take a “hard line” rather than a “sympathetic” approach to illegal migration, according to the survey.

Three quarters of those who supported the Tories in 2019 favour a tough approach to Channel crossings.

Elsewhere, the polling shows that both groups would prefer the winning candidate to have backed tough Covid restrictions rather than arguing against lockdowns.

But there is a big split between Tory voters and the wider public over how to tackle the issue of ever-rising spending on the NHS.

While 62 per cent of Conservative backers think the solution is structural reform of the NHS, the wider public narrowly favours pumping more money in by 47 per cent to 44 per cent.

Both groups see China as a greater threat to Britain than Russia, a fact that could favour Ms Truss who has taken a hawkish stance towards Beijing.

There is also support among the general public and Tory ranks for more nuclear power plants to increase Britain’s energy independence.

A spokesman for Redfield and Wilton Strategies said: “A majority of the British public [and specifically 2019 Conservative voters] want HS2 scrapped.

“Public opinion suggests this money would be better spent on tax cuts and supporting low and middle-income voters in the cost of living crisis.”

“Conservative voters still want a prime minister who believes in Brexit and in its promises.

“They want someone to carry the torch of that political revolution, not smother its flames.”

Public opinion suggests HS2 money would be better spent on tax cuts and help in the cost of living crisis