21 July 2016
- Shadow BIS secretary say he will ‘actively campaign’ against HS2
The Green Party has welcomed a senior Labour Shadow Cabinet member’s decision to ‘campaign against HS2’. Though Labour has previously been in favour of the multibillion pounds project the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has today confirmed that he would vote against it.
Jon Trickett, who assumed his new role earlier this month, tweeted “[a] Number of people have been tweeting me about HS2, I oppose the new plan and I will actively campaign against HS2”. Trickett is also the Labour Party’s Campaigns and Elections Chair.
Earlier this year MPs, including Jon Trickett, voted overwhelmingly in favour of HS2 but his change of heart means that at future votes either party policy will have to change or, according to convention, he would have to resign. A change in position from Labour could jeopardise the project as a number of Tory MPs oppose it.
Caroline Russell AM, the Green Party’s Transport Spokesperson, said:
“It’s great to see such a senior member of the Shadow Cabinet commit to campaigning against HS2. Though he voted for the Bill earlier this year it’s clear that Jon Trickett has seen the light and will now join those of us campaigning against this wasteful project.
"The evidence is clear: this project shaving minutes off journeys to London is a colossal waste of precious resources which will channel funding away from where it’s really needed providing people with improved local rail connections between our towns & cities across the country.
“We hope that Labour moves swiftly to change their policy on HS2 and we look forward to campaigning alongside Jon Trickett and others in the coming weeks and months.”