Apparently the London Euston station, which was due to have 11 platforms for high-speed trains will now have six, which presumambly reduces capacity.
And what a train wreck of a PR management announcement that decision has been. Once the possibility of cancellation had leaked before the conference were they right to keep claiming they hadn't decided? Or should they have lanced the boil early to get the poision out? Doubtless, praticioners of the political dark arts will be using this one as a case study for some time.
I imagine the spin doctors over in the opposition party HQs are busy talking through what three to five word slogan they can now best use on their anti tory posters.
"The Tories are going nowhere" perhaps?
My favourite line for a poster would be "You can't trust the Tories"
with whatever imagery works best. What comes is the picture of Johnson and Sunak partying at No. 10 compared with the late Queen sitting alone at her husband's funeral.
Or maybe the phrase "Duty or Party"
Reactions to the HS2 decision were:
- Sir John Armitt, (chairs National Infrastructure Commission), 'deeply disappointing';
- Richard Bowker, (ex boss of the Strategic Rail Authority), capacity constraints not solved;
- David Cameron, (ex PM), on the decision, 'the wrong one'.
- Andy Street, (Tory mayor of the West Midlands), 'incredibly disappointed'
- Andy Burnham, (Mayor of Greater Manchester), 'we haven't got a plan here that works'
Other points the PM made yesterday
- Rwanda deportation flights - will stop the boats (still an assertion with little factual backing so far) & he'll do 'whatever it takes'
- a smoking ban so most most of today's children can never buy cigarettes. What a great decision. Meanwhile Smoking lettuce Queen Liz Truss says its 'hideously illiberal'.
- Vaping & children - a promise to crack down on the sale of disposable vapes to children. Good.
- Advanced British Standard qualification - combines A and T levels in an international baccalaureate-style qualification in which pupils study at least five subjects including some form of maths and English to age 18. The PM's press secretary said: 'I believe it will take about 10 years for the advanced British standard to replace A-levels.'
- Uni, like Essex, isn't the only way - 'So we are stopping universities from enrolling students on courses that do nothing for their life chances. Under us no more rip-off degrees.'
- Sexually-motivated murderers - will never be released from prison, 'we will legislate for sexual and sadistic murders to carry a full-life term with no prospect of release.'
