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COMMENT


Since HS2’s high points, when a cross-party con- sensus emerged under former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, and when the Coalition committed it- self to high-speed rail, there have been a number of setbacks for pro-HS2 campaigners and victories for opponents. RTM caught up with Yes to HS2 on the first stop on its series of ‘bus tour’ rallies.


H


igh-speed rail campaigners are hav- ing to submit to the fate that often


befalls the appointed front runner in any political battle: being seen as the ‘establish- ment’ while your opponent is the underdog with the backing of the little people, whose constant sorties and guerrilla attacks grad- ually sap your support.


But the pro-HS2 side, with a relative dis- advantage in terms of money, committed lobbyists and letter-writers and friends in the powerful middle-market media, is determined not to be seen to be fronted simply by people like the Prime Minister, Transport Secretary, and business groups in the Midlands.


Instead, on its ‘bus tour’ rallies, you see a lot of young and enthusiastic faces, colour-


26 | rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 11


ful branding, and local representatives who know that city’s own character and the ar- guments that will win local people over.


Not just nimbies any more


When RTM went along to the first of these rallies, in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens, there was certainly a lot of interest from passers-by and the local media – and from those simply keen to grab a free ‘Yes to HS2’ t-shirt.


Those fighting HS2 have made their argu- ments forcefully and effectively, and cer- tainly have dented public support, which seems to have fallen from a big majority in favour to at best an even battle, and per- haps even an anti-HS2 majority, depend- ing on the pollster and the question. But, in the end, HS2 is not a referendum – the political battle for support is more about influencing the consultation, which is now in its final weeks.


A number of reports have undermined the pro-HS2 camp’s often over-optimistic and inflated arguments in favour of the line, while interventions from people like May- or of London Boris Johnson have hardly


helped the cause, either.


Plus, the majority of those in favour of HS2 tend not to feel all that strongly about it, with the benefits very dispersed and long- term – whilst its opponents mostly feel they will be personally worse off because of the line and feel very strongly about it, and are thus willing to lobby their MP, write let- ters, turn up at events and generally make sure their views are represented. They have the support of many wealthy homeowners who live along the route and who have been happy to dip into their own pockets to give the anti-HS2 side a big fundraising advan- tage – a point not lost on Yes to Hs2, whose controversial flyers mocked rich southern opponents, saying to a presumed northern audience ‘Their lawns or our jobs?’


The anti-side also benefits from a canny line of argument that basically suggests that investment in the existing rail network will do more good and less harm than a new high-speed line: a far more convincing case than ‘not in my back yard’.


It’s the capacity, stupid So, the Campaign for High Speed Rail has


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