Author: Malcolm Watson

A view I’ve held for a couple of years. HS2 was backed by the Blair/Brown Labour government in 2010 and the Cameron/Osborne Conservative government who were very pro EU. Cameron/Osborn to the point of giving away our UK Sovereignty and selling us out cheaply to Brussels. Osborne possibly had a vested interest in not rocking the EU boat flogging his Osborne & Little wallpaper across Europe. Labour and the Unions had other axes to grind supporting HS2. HS2 is primarily for the benefit of ever closer Union of Europe backed by Brussels. Additionally, it has a direct benefit to the German and French Government economies with their State run networks of ICE and TGV trains and its successor, the French AGV. Branson and the Virgin Group are more interested in the profits and expansion of the Company than the UK taxpayer, and are probably part of the driving force behind HS2. HS2 would not only allow Virgin to expand its operations in the UK, it would give Virgin access to the Continental rail network. The German and French governments could not object to giving Virgin access to the continent if the ICE and TGV trains were in turn, being given access to the UK. Virgin gave the game away when, according to Wikipedia, Virgin was bidding for the GNER Franchise, ‘Publicity material featuring Virgin branded TGV and ICE trains…