A Freedom of Information Request submitted by the TaxPayers' Alliance, published in The Sun today, shows the scale of "non-jobs" that have already been created at HS2 Ltd, the taxpayer-funded organisation which will deliver our very own high-speed vanity project. There are 32 of them - from a Head of Equality and Diversity on more than £75,000 to a gaggle of well-paid lobbyists and spin doctors. Read The Sun's story here. Our Chief Executive, Jonathan Isaby, told the paper that:
It is clear that this vanity project is already significantly off track. With salaries spiralling upwards and an army of spinners and green officials on the payroll, it looks increasingly like predictions that HS2 would cost more than anybody is admitting are being proved right. It's time to hit the brakes on this high speed gravy train.
In other news, it appears as if the Chancellor is cracking down on how our foreign aid is spent. The Daily Mail reports, with a quote from Jonathan, the news that all government departments will have to justify all of their spending overseas in the upcoming spending review. It's welcome news. You can read the article, with Jonathan's thoughts, here. We were also quoted on the topic in today's Daily Express.