'People deserve more than soundbites': West Midlands mayor hits back at Reform deputy's call to ‘scrap HS2’
Calls to scrap the HS2 project have been branded ‘reckless’ by the Mayor of the West Midlands.
Richard Parker came out fighting for the high speed railway scheme in response to Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice branding it “wasteful” and urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to abandon it.
Mr Tice has previously said Reform would scrap the project if the party came to power and, in a pre-Budget social media clip shared this week, he labelled it the "train to nowhere".
But Mr Parker said the region would suffer if the project was jettisoned at this late stage of its development.
He said: “This latest reckless idea from Reform UK to scrap HS2 is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Nigel Farage – policies made up on the spot with no understanding of how our economy works and no interest in the people who live here. It’s dangerous for this place.
“They talk a good game but they don’t do the hard graft. Their ideas fall apart the moment you look at the detail.
“This region has secured billions of pounds of investment because businesses know we’re serious about growth.
“We’re creating real jobs and backing the sectors that will power our future – it requires serious leadership. That doesn’t happen by ripping up major infrastructure on a whim.
“Farage and Tice aren’t rooted in the reality of the West Midlands – or any region. They don’t represent our ambitions, they don’t understand our challenges and they certainly don’t speak for the communities who stand to benefit from HS2.
“People here deserve more than soundbites. They deserve leadership that backs jobs, growth and opportunity. Reform UK offer political gimmicks. We’re building the future whilst they want to take us backwards.”
In his social media clip, Mr Tice said: “There’s a new poll out and yes, the majority of Brits would scrap HS2 to save tens of billions of pounds.
“And it means Rachel Reeves can cure her budget problem. No need to raise taxes: just scrap the ridiculous, wasteful HS2.
“It’s the train to nowhere – scrap it, bin it and stop all these tax rises. You can do it, Rachel.”
Critics of HS2 have long derided the scheme over issues such as escalating costs, project delays and the damage construction is doing to the environment and wildlife.
But supporters say the project will help improve connectivity, capacity and carbon reduction as well as boosting the region’s economic growth by billions of pounds.
Work continues on creating Birmingham’s HS2 station in the city centre and is expected to be completed between 2029 and 2033.
Curzon Street Station will be the first mainline inner city railway station to be built in the country since the 19th century.
