Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declining to commit to building HS2 to the North today has triggered ridicule on social media.
The Have I Got News For You account published a tongue in cheek post on X, formerly Twitter, from children’s show Thomas the Tank Engine.
In a nod to the now meme-famous episode Come Out, Henry, a train is pictured refusing to come out of a tunnel alongside the caption ‘live scenes from the HS2 just north of Watford’.
Live scenes from the HS2 just north of Watford: pic.twitter.com/bKPdmTLibD
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) September 25, 2023
The post at around 12pm has already been viewed by hundreds of thousands and retweeted over 2,000 times, with many jumping aboard the scorn train.
Alternative plans for the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2 are currently in the trial stage. pic.twitter.com/iOAfg0A0k9
— Rob Norwood (@RobNorwood6) September 25, 2023
i was so looking forward to being the first person on the HS2 replacement bus service in Manchester pic.twitter.com/cttymvIG1g
— Jason Moulton (@JasonMo95527460) September 25, 2023
— JohnB 💙🤍🔥💥🚴♂️⛷⭐️🇪🇺💫☄️ (@JB_CFFire) September 25, 2023
Tories implement emergency plan for HS2... pic.twitter.com/wN30hk3m7w
— 𝕿𝖍𝖊46𝕿𝖍𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦365❤️🔥 (@The46thClub) September 25, 2023
The Prime Minister hit out at the “speculation” surrounding its future but did nothing to quell fears he is preparing to either scrap or delay the leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester.
Downing Street said there is precedent to delaying aspects of the high-speed rail scheme because of “affordability pressures”, pointing towards high inflation.
Grant Shapps, recently promoted to Defence Secretary from his transport role, has said it would be “crazy” not to reconsider the project in considering spiralling costs.
But Tory former chancellor George Osborne and ex-Conservative deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine were among senior figures warning that axing the Manchester route would be a “gross act of vandalism” which would mean “abandoning” the North and Midlands.
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