HS2 was an act of vandalism from the very beginning

George Osborne and Michael Heseltine recently described the cancelling of the Birmingham to Manchester stretch of HS2 as “a gross act of vandalism”.

I describe the entire project as a gross act of vandalism against our beautiful landscape and the precious wildlife within it. Ancient woodlands have fallen to this hideous scar – if that isn’t vandalism I don’t know what is.

If the north does see the cruel impact of the line on their beautiful environment, as we have done, they may not feel so sure its limited benefit is worth a yard of it.