UK

Green co-leader says there is a case for building northern leg of HS2

The Green Party has historically been opposed to HS2 over concerns about its environmental impact.

HS2 workers wave flags from the boring machine Cecelia
HS2 workers wave flags from the boring machine Cecelia (Andrew Matthews/PA)
By David Lynch, PA Political Correspondent

There is “a case” for building the northern leg of HS2, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has said.

Mr Ramsay suggested he was open to the idea of reviving the scrapped portion of the high speed rail project, while speaking at the Greens’ conference in Manchester.

His party has been openly critical of the environmental damage caused by the London to Birmingham section of HS2, and opposed building the project when it began.

But Mr Ramsay signalled the party’s direction on HS2’s future could change, as it is set to debate the issue at its annual gathering.

Asked by the PA news agency whether he could be persuaded to support a revival of the Manchester to Birmingham leg of HS2, the Green co-leader said: “Our party members are going to be debating HS2 this weekend, because we have had concerns about the HS2 project, particularly because of the ecological impact that the London to Birmingham leg has had.

“But that leg has largely been built and so the question now is whether the northern leg is also built. I do think there is a case for that.”

The MP for Waveney Valley added: “We certainly need to make sure that in investing in our infrastructure, areas like the north, Manchester where we are for our conference, must not lose out.”

“In terms of exactly what the party’s position is about how we ensure the north benefits from rail investment, that is being debated at our conference to decide the party’s position.

“But that principle of investing in railways including in the north of England is a really important one.”

HS2’s northern leg was scrapped nearly a year ago at the Conservative Party conference by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak, in an attempt to stake out political difference with his predecessors and the Labour opposition.

The project had already suffered scale backs, as a planned second northern leg to Leeds was cancelled when Boris Johnson was prime minister.

Over the summer, the National Audit Office warned Mr Sunak’s decision to axe the Manchester leg could lead to capacity issues across the railways.

It suggested “incentivising people to travel at different times or to not travel by rail” as one option to deal with the problem.