Express & Star

Star comment: Sunak on the wrong track over HS2

There’s a common thread linking the key announcements that Rishi Sunak has made in the past week or so.

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In watering down the green agenda and in appearing to call into question the future of HS2, he is making a clear and clean break with the premiership of Boris Johnson. The man who made Mr Sunak Chancellor of the Exchequer was a key advocate of green issues and also delivered the go-ahead for HS2.

Mr Sunak, in contrast, has seen the political capital to be gained from ditching both – the Conservatives secured Mr Johnson’s former Uxbridge constituency in a by-election dominated by anti-green sentiment. He would also rather spend the money targeted towards HS2 on other, vote-winning promises.

There’s a second theme, however, which the Prime Minister will find less palatable, which is this. While some voters endorse his policies, it seems many do not.