Snake oil 3

Lets remember that HS2 is being diverted around George Osborne's constituency in Tatton, at great cost to orgdinary tax payers.

Mind you the real damage is HS2 itself nd the billions of capital it will misallocate and the economic damage that it is certain the perform on Cities it bypasses and even those it links to London.

But the trustafarians who have made politics their hobby wanted to triangulate with wishy washy floating voters so any price [paid by the taxpayer and others in lost jobs is find for what was once the conservative party.

But now comes the final insult - HS3 for the general election. A completely nuts idea* by a deeply cynical career politician If they really cared about the North they'd push a second M6 through between Birmingham and up to Preston.

The little games of the little boys Goerge and Dave matter much more than their country or the tax payer.

If there are any Conservative party members left who are in their party for the good of our country now is the time to leave - its quite clear the political class who run the Conservative party as a sort of hobby don't deserve anyone's support.

* Do you really need me to explain why ?

HS2 - the British establishment's Zil lanes

During your career running from your time at the right sort of university, that first internship with an MP, the think tank job and perhaps even the spad post you do your best to avoid the unwashed. This is especially true if your selfish and power crazed enough to be left wing.

But now you have to travel each week to the constituency you have to pretend to love, but secretly despise. The thought of saving an extra half hour every time, and what's better traveling by transport that the more annoying of the proles you represent can't and never will be able to afford to use. ( And of course there's the added bonus that prole class rail transport or jammed motorways are made worse by the money diverted to serve your most special needs. )

Is this fair ?

How about the politicians agreeing not to use HS2, and for that matter civil servants ? After all its justified on all those business hours saved right.

Is it fair ? Its far closer to the truth than it ever should be.

HS2 just shows the utter conetempt that the modern Conservative party holds for the public

The new HS2 map is almost like a mental map of how the metropolitan elite that has captured the Conservative party views England.

In short they'd like to bypass us, our culture, our values - all they really want is our money to pay for the voter bribing operations they need to for fill all that potential they showed at Oxford before they had to dirty themselves by talking to everyone else.

HS2 will destroy value, cost the earth, bleed the current rail network to death, destroy the regions not build them ( as experience in France and Spain confirms ), and sell our children further into debt. All this so arrogant politicians can carry on playing at being in power.

HS2 sums the utter contempt that modern politicians show for the people up.

HS2 is insane - but then so's much of govt policy

I've had a great trip with my kids down to Montpelier on Eurostar and a double deck TGV. The SNCF train was better than the ageing Eurostar. There was room to move about - even with a sofa area at the end of the carriage for those who can't last 5 secs without making mobile phone calls.

The kids loved it. It took slightly longer than the flight, but thanks to the French tax payer and their recognition of cheaper fairs for children it was far cheaper (for me) than flying ( all the cheap Easy Jet tickets having gone ). Very civilised.

So don't get me wrong - I loved it.

But the current plan for high speed rail is insane. There is no ( repeat no) need for the HS link to Birmingham. Maybe Leeds or Manchester could try to make a case ( undermined by trains that have to divert via Birmingham and probably stop there ), but it would be very marginal.

Who benefits ?

Well mostly MPs and civil servants who get back and forth a bit quicker and won't have to pay. This won't be a peoples transport system anymore than Concorde was. (At least not unless you take into account paying for it ;-) ). It will ensure that MPs and civil servants don't give a monkey's about the trains that run from Euston and Kings Cross north.

In Spain they found the High Speed rail pulled more companies into Madrid away from the centre, 180' opposite of the apparent objective here.

This is one of those high prestige monument building projects like the Sheffield or Edinburgh tram systems.

Its not needed, and paying for it will ensure the railways that tax payers used are neglected.

If you want to help the economy don't put down a high speed rail track - build a new motorway. ( Run it through the Chilterns if you must ). That would make sense. The M1, M6,M40 can't take the strain and we know more motorway capacity will lead to better regional growth and economic prosperity.

But the naked self interest groups won't like it.

So I'm guessing we will end up borrowing more billions from our children to waste building something that will actually hurt the country and destroy the regions.

What's needed is a new motorway - why does no one campaign for that ? ( Oh yes I bet the MPs concerned - except perhaps Chris Huhne MP who's a alleged user of motorways - prefer first class rail. )

PS If you move the 2 one character to the left you get a gas that's 25% as toxic as Hydrogen Cyanide ... H₂S.

Never mind high speed rail - how about a Thames barrage.

I know politicians and civil servants would like to cut a bit of time of their first class commute to and from Manchester. But really shouldn't the priority be a Thames barrage to prevent a storm surge doing to London what just happened to northern Japan ?

Also: See Labour's Thames gateway potential disaster earlier post.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7