Over 200 Green Party members sign open letter condemning pro-HS2 motion
Hundreds of members of the Green Party of England and Wales have signed an open letter calling for a motion on HS2 submitted to the party’s spring conference to be voted down. Over 200 Greens have added their name to the letter which argues that the motion would be an “utter betrayal” of the environmental campaigners who have fought against the project.
Members of the Green Party will meet in Birmingham for their spring conference on 11-12 March. One of the motions on the agenda for debate would see the Greens’ position on HS2 changed from opposition to support. Brought by members of campaign group Greens4HS2, the motion would see the Greens support the funding and building of HS2, including the proposed leg to Leeds.
The Green Party has long opposed HS2, with the party’s 2019 general election manifesto committing to cancel the scheme, which it branded “damaging” and “doomed”.
The letter opposing the Greens4HS2 backed motion argues that “the case for HS2 is fundamentally dishonest, anti democratic, and frighteningly destructive”. It goes on to claim that HS2 “would not be carbon neutral for 120 years”, argues that the first phase of HS2 construction has caused “diabolical destruction of whole ecosystems” and alleges that the project “poses a very real and present threat to the water of supply of London”. Signatories also claim that the project “has been designed to increase aviation”.
Among the high profile figures to sign the letter are Baroness Jenny Jones, the party’s international coordinator Elise Benjamin and anti-fracking campaigner Tina Rothery.
In a recent interview with Bright Green about the motion, Greens4HS2 members Emma Garnett and Pete Johnson argued that HS2 is crucial to free up capacity on other rail lines and enable a modal shift away from short haul flights and car use.
PS. We hope you enjoyed this article. Bright Green has got big plans for the future to publish many more articles like this. You can help make that happen. Please donate to Bright Green now donate to Bright Green now.
Image credit: Les Chatfield – Creative Commons
I don’t really know enough as my more about hs2 which line is it I’m more concerned with local issues stopping sizewellc probably too late Now and improving cheaper access for young people to democratic elections
No Green should be supporting HS2: https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/22/its-time-to-scrap-hs2-before-it-causes-any-more-damage-15298645/
I am disappointed that Bright Green have Greens4HS2 a free platform without an opposition voice. When you are receiving a one-sided argument, it isn’t news – it’s propaganda.
Completely against HS2. It will do nothing for the north and destroy even more habitats in the south. It is against everything I thought the green party stood for. It’s the same sort of betrayal that Starmer is inflicting on the labour party.
hs2 is vitally important green transport infrastructure and needs to be built to enable modal interchange on our journey to net zero compliance. The alternative is more roads and planes
Where’s your evidence that existing High Speed Rail has enabled modal shift? My understanding of the German experience is that all models of travel have experienced increased demand following the introduction of HSR. That’s more short haul flights, more car journeys….and more rail journeys. Not the best indicator of the modal shift you are predicting.