PM criticised for £91billion HS2 'chaos' after not attending any meetings

30 September 2023 , 21:29

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Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata in Manchester today (Image: Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak is today accused of being “missing in action” over HS2 – having NEVER met the team building it.

Analysis of his official meeting logs reveal he has not met HS2 Ltd once since being appointed to the Treasury in July 2019. And the HS2 Ministerial Taskforce – in charge of monitoring and overseeing the progress of the rail link – has not met since Mr Sunak became Prime Minister. There are also fresh claims that advisers tried to ditch HS2.

As the Tories gathered for their conference in Manchester, Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “Rishi Sunak has been missing in action as Europe’s biggest infrastructure project has been put at risk by Government incompetence. Now taxpayers are set to pay the price for years of chaos and mismanagement. It is time for the Government to come clean on HS2 and the extent of the damage they have done.”

HS2 contractors excavating an area below a newly replaced section of the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough branch line track (PA)

When Mr Sunak was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, it was estimated HS2 would cost at least £55.7billion. But that changed to £88billion and then £98billion. And despite scrapping the Eastern leg of HS2 between Birmingham and Leeds, costs continued to rise, with latest estimates at £91billion.

The PM’s lack of involvement emerged as it was revealed that Andrew Gilligan, who is advising him on HS2, once called the project the “greatest infrastructure mistake in half a century”. He is understood to have the “ear” of the PM and is said to have provided the thinking behind Mr Sunak’s expected decision to scrap the HS2 link from Birmingham to Manchester.

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An artist's impression of HS2 (PA)

Mr Gilligan was a transport adviser to Boris Johnson. It is claimed he was involved in a bid to axe HS2 when the then-PM was ill with Covid. With the backing of former aide Dominic Cummings, Mr Gilligan “made an attempt” to delay it, a senior Westminster source told this newspaper. They said: “There was a deadline on a big payment and he wanted to hold it because he was still trying to axe it.” A second senior source said Mr Cummings had previously argued in favour of scrapping HS2. They said: “There was absolutely a plan to scrap it. Cummings wanted rid.”

But a third Westminster source claimed Mr Cummings suggested the payment delay plan until the impact of Covid-19 on rail demand was clearer. The source said the aim was to find out the latest date contracts could be signed, rather than scrapping the project altogether. And they said Mr Johnson was asked whether he wanted to delay – and that he said no.

Mikey Smith