So much for an open, transparent consultation process about HS2! The past few days have seen a concerted pre-briefing of and by its supporters, and the release to journalists (not the general public yet) of a Network Rail report which purports to prove that strategic alternatives to HS2 will not be sufficient.

I had hoped that Justine Greening MP, the new Transport Secretary, would be an improvement on her predecessor by bringing logic and rational argument to the fore in her evaluation of the HS2 proposal, but it seems I was mistaken.

As we now wait for the seemingly inevitable decision to be announced by Ms Greening tomorrow, that she has decided to proceed with HS2, it is worth reflecting on the following:

1. The Network Rail report assumes that the passenger growth forecasts for HS2 are correct. These forecasts, which assume that recent years’ growth trends continue unabated into the long-term future, are almost certainly grossly overstated.
2. The report represents the findings of one set of rail experts critiquing the views of other experts. I am sure there will be a response. Who knows who is right?
3. Even if one accepts ultimately that a new rail line is required linking London to Birmingham and beyond, there is no justification for designing it for 250 mph operating speeds in our small crowded island. A lower-speed (but still high-speed) dedicated line would be far more energy efficient, would have far less environmental impact, and could be built on a route which followed much more closely the existing transport corridors.

The right thing for Ms Greening to announce tomorrow would be a deferment of any decisions on HS2, to allow time for:

• Full response to the Transport Select Committee recommendations, e.g. that details of the whole HS2 Y-route should be published and then consulted on together.
• Proper scrutiny of the latest Network Rail report.

Will she do the right thing? After the last few days, my confidence in her is pretty low!

Lib Dem Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined a £1 billion pound Youth Contract to tackle youth unemployment. The aim is to ensure that all jobless young people are earning or learning again before long-term damage is done.

• Over three years, the Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to 24 year olds into work. Starting April 2012
• Including 160,000 wage subsidies and 250,000 new work experience placements.
• In addition, there will be at least 20,000 more incentive payments to encourage employers to take on young apprentices.
• A new programme to help the most disengaged 16 and 17 year olds – getting them back to school or college, onto an apprenticeship or into a job with training.

I’ve received the following alert from Trading Standards. While it’s unclear what the motives of the bogus official actually are, one can asssume they’re not honourable! Please take care answering the door therefore.

15/11/2011 Council Officer Warning Kenilworth

Warwickshire Trading Standards Service is warning Kenilworth residents about a man who is reported to have been door knocking in the area, claiming to work for Warwickshire County Council and offering to ‘reduce residents council tax’. The caller is believed to be wearing a Warwickshire County Council badge. Warwickshire Trading Standards is not aware of any legitimate reason for a member of staff to be carrying out such calls and warns householders to be wary of any callers who claim to be ‘officials’.

1. Use a door chain

1. Always check the callers ID and verify they are genuine by phoning a publically listed telephone number, not one they give you.

1. Do not allow anyone in to your home you don’t know or trust

1. If in doubt, say no and close the door, or better still , don’t open the door in the first place.

For more information on all scams, visit our website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams

Deputy Prime Minister addresses the Party Conference in Birmingham. You can read the full text of the speech here.

Thousands of Liberal Democrats gathered for their annual conference in Birmingham this week. They discussed what has been achieved in the first 500 days of Government and policies for the future. Highlights include:

• After decades of campaigning, and thanks to Lynne Featherstone: Equal marriage, straight or gay.
• More power for consumers over the energy companies
• Calling time on rewards for failure in boardrooms
• New powers to turn empty homes back into family homes.
• A £500m investment in growth.

The Lib Dems are opposing calls for an immediate cut in the 50% tax rate paid by higher rate taxpayers.

Nick Clegg’s party instead wants to give more help to those on middle and low incomes who need it the most.

NIck Clegg: We need fairer taxes to help ordinary people, not tax cuts for the richest

Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said, “At a time when the whole country faces serious financial challenges, the priority needs to be people on low and middle incomes.”

A key part of the coalition agreement was the Lib Dem commitment to making taxes fairer. The Lib Dems are well on their way to delivering on their pledge that no one should pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

Nearly a million low paid workers are no longer paying income tax thanks to this. All basic rate tax payers are paying £200 less in income tax.

Each year more and more people on low and middle incomes will gain more thanks to the Lib Dem fairer tax plan.

Danny Alexander said, “Fairer taxes is our goal. I don’t see why, in the next parliament, we shouldn’t be trying to get to a situation where people in a full-time job on the minimum wage are paying no income tax at all.”

This would mean that no one would pay tax on the first £12,500 they earn.

Quote from Vince Cable’s autobiography (p.140):-

“This particular experience developed in me a strong hostility to big national prestige projects – like the new Wembley and the Olympics – which, via the Lottery, suck money out of local community projects ….”

SO WHAT DOES HE MAKE OF HS2? It would be very interesting to find out!

I’ve just received the following very useful news round-up from the Stop HS2 Action Group. Last week’s Economist article calling for the abandonment of HS2 could mark the start of the national tide turning! The forthcoming party conference season will be crucial.

No to HS2

News Round-up

• Economist magazine calls for plans to be scrapped
• Northern MPs revolt against HS2
• Liverpool economic competitiveness could suffer, Mersey transport body warns
• London Assembly members concerned at potential upheaval
• Conservative transport group dismisses ‘flawed’ high-speed proposals

MAIN NEWS

Shelve high speed plans urges Economist: The Economist magazine has called on the Government to abandon HS2, warning that the proposed network will fail to bridge regional divides and impact negatively on cities and towns away from the route. A related article in the weekly also looked at opposition to the project in a number of these urban areas, including Coventry and Stoke-on-Trent.

Related link: http://www.economist.com/node/21528263

http://www.economist.com/node/21528294

Northern MPs turn against HS2: A number of MPs from the North-East of England, including Labour’s Kevan Jones and the Lib Dems’ Ian Swales have condemned the Coalition’s high-speed rail vision as a “White Elephant” and “of doubtful benefit” to the region.

Related link: http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2011/08/04/north-east-mps-losing-faith-in-high-speed-future-61634-29176659/  

Liverpool competitiveness at risk: Merseyside’s Passenger Transport Authority has warned that Liverpool could be “economically disadvantaged” by the disparity in journey times that high speed services from London to Manchester would create.

Related link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-14614915

London Assembly Committee raises objections: The London Assembly’s Transport Committeee, led by Lib Dem AM Caroline Pidgeon, has said that current plans for high-speed rail “fail to properly address the effects it would have on local communities and London’s existing transport network.”

Related link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14339317

Tory Group rejects proposals: The Conservative Party’s Transport Group have criticised the Coalition’s HS2 plans, describing them as “fundamentally flawed”.

Related link: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/mps_line_up_to_oppose_high_speed_rail_plan_1_3666930

Top economist blasts ‘vanity project’: Respected economist John Kay has condemned HS2 as a “vanity project unfit for an austere age” that yields only “political excitement”.

Related link: http://cachef.ft.com/cms/s/0/ced3ff8e-bd39-11e0-9d5d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1WoRH2u00 (£)

Engineering institute disputes environmental advantages: The Institute for Engineering and Technology has warned that the projected environmental and carbon benefits of HS2 are overstated. 

Related link: http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2011/jul/hs2-iet.cfm

HS2 fails to answer transport needs, argues former London Minister: Former London Minister and Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich Nick Raynsford has argued that the Government’s high speed rail plans face “difficulties on costs and planning grounds” and are an inadequate response to Britain’s aviation priorities.

Related link: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23981603-boris-island-airport-is-the-only-option-ministers-told.do

West London MP vents anger at consultation: Labour MP John McDonnell has said he will not support HS2 on the grounds that the DfT’s consultation does not provide details of its “implications and consequences” for his Hayes and Harlington constituency and the borough of Hillingdon.

Related link: http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/west-london-news/high-speed-rail/2011/07/29/mp-john-mcdonnell-s-hs2-consultation-response-113046-29142999/

Oxfordshire businesses sceptical of economic benefits: A Federation of Small Businesses’ survey has found that 57% of its members in Oxfordshire believe HS2 will have no overall impact on their firms.

Related link: http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/9225428.Small_firms_not_convinced_by_high_speed_rail_plans/

Nick Clegg: NHS reforms must deliver for patients

The Lib Dems are continuing to work in Parliament to ensure NHS reforms deliver a better deal for patients.

Nick Clegg’s party won major changes to the reforms earlier this summer.

These included measures to ensure there will be no privatisation of the NHS and no special favours for the private sector.

Nick Clegg said, “With the Lib Dems, the NHS will always be free at the point of use and will deliver top quality treatment for patients. We want to deliver a better NHS that can cope with the increasing demand and rising health costs.”

The NHS reforms will cut waste and bureaucracy that costs billions of pounds. They will help the NHS cope with the costs of Britain’s steadily ageing population and the rising cost of many treatments.

By making the NHS more efficient and by protecting the NHS budget from cuts, more money can be spent on improving care for patients.

NHS faced disaster with Labour
Had Labour won the last election, the NHS would have faced deep spending cuts. That along with Labour’s refusal to tackle waste and inefficiency would have been a disaster for our health services.

Labour rigged the market in favour of the private sector by giving contracts that were unfair for the taxpayer and for patients.

Over £250million of taxpayers’ money was handed over by the last Labour government to private providers for operations they didn’t even perform.

The Liberal Democrats have made sure that this kind of favouritism towards the private sector will now be illegal.

Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes has led a review of access to higher education. He spent six months traveling around the country to speak with thousands of young people about the changes to university financing and all other concerns they have about access to higher education

Last week he published his final report. It contains over 30 recommendations directed towards schools and colleges, universities, government and regulators on what they can do to encourage participation in higher education. You can download a copy of the report from the Cabinet Office website here: Hughes Report