Midlands Connect writes to Boris Johnson: any delay or downgrade of HS2 a “serious concern” and further leaks are “simply unacceptable”

Midlands Connect Chairman Sir John Peace has today (Monday 20 January 2020) written to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, warning him again that any delay or downgrade of High Speed Two would be a betrayal of the Midlands and the North.

In the letter, issued following a leak of the HS2 Oakervee Review in the Financial Times, Sir John Peace told the Prime Minister to publish the full review as soon as possible to end uncertainty:

The tone of today’s Oakervee review leak in the Financial Times is of serious concern. Further leaks and uncertainty are simply unacceptable. The time has come to release the Oakervee report and give the Midlands, our businesses and investors the certainty we need to plan for a bright future.

To delay and downgrade HS2 north of Birmingham would be a betrayal of the Midlands and the North. We need a modern, fast and reliable railway to link our great towns and cities sustainably.

I met with and wrote to Douglas Oakervee several times during his review. I made it clear that HS2’s current economic case greatly underestimates the full economic benefits of the project. It ignores developments plans around new high-speed stations across the Midlands and the North.

Any further delay or downgrades of the project will send the wrong message to the people of our region, but it will also send the wrong message to foreign investors who see Britain as an opportunity for growth after Brexit.

We need HS2 more than ever. I would welcome the opportunity to meet you at your earliest convenience and allay any fears you may have about pushing ahead with this vital project.