For immediate release
Responding to confirmation that the government will proceed with HS2, Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance said:
"This announcement is a massive blow to the taxpayers of today and tomorrow who will be left paying for the HS2 white elephant with no light at the end of the tunnel.
"The government seems to have taken steps to stop HS2 Ltd calling the shots, but now needs to get to grips with the scale of the challenge ahead."
Responding to plans to invest in other transport infrastructure projects, Harry Fone said:
"We warmly welcome plans for a transport revolution, including investing in infrastructure projects such as upgrading the A1 north of Newcastle, improving rail connectivity in the South West and plans for new cycle paths, which the TaxPayers' Alliance has championed.
"These schemes should be the priority for ministers going forward, ensuring taxpayers don't lose out as money is shovelled into the black hole that is HS2."
Responding to the announcement that a new minister will be appointed to oversee HS2, Harry Fone said:
"The government is right to make changes to the delivery mechanism and management of HS2, but that alone will not protect the project from hitting the buffers.
"Scrutiny of how taxpayers' money is spent is long overdue, and a new minister specifically to interrogate costs and put HS2 bosses on notice is a step in the right direction."
TPA spokesmen are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Media contact:
Harry Fone
Media Campaign Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)
- Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) fights to reform taxes, reduce spending and protect taxpayers. Find out more about the TaxPayers' Alliance at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
- TaxPayers' Alliance's advisory council.
- In February 2017 the TPA estimated the cost of HS2 at between £90.8 billion and £99.9 billion.
- The TPA launched The Great British Transport Competition to find alternative transport infrastructure projects that deliver better value for money.
- In January, TPA chief executive John O'Connell wrote a letter to the prime minister laying out that the eventual costs of HS2, including associated expenditure and rolling stock, may be closer to £150 billion.