The CBI Regional Chairs from the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, London, the North East, and North West have all signed up to a one-off statement describing HS2 as ‘vital’ to the UK’s future prosperity. Representing businesses along the path of the project, they have described it as “the critical spine that will bring wider transport improvements like Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Midlands Rail Hub to life”.
Ahead of the findings of the government review of HS2 expected later this week, the statement has been made to stress the importance of completing the entirety of the line. In their view, “a scaled back version of HS2 will not deliver the improved connectivity across the country that businesses are crying out for”.
The CBI’s campaign to secure the full benefits of HS2
Against the backdrop of concerns about cuts to the planned line in the East Midlands, London, or elsewhere, CBI has produced a clear line that HS2 must be completed in its entirety. The project is forecast to create half a million jobs, stimulate house building along its route and support much-needed investment across the Midlands, North and beyond.
The coming-together of these Regional Chairs is the culmination of a wider campaign to show the cross-section of support for the project across the country. CBI Regional Councils are usually focused on their areas specifically and work on key economic issues facing a region, its business environment and the economy. That they have come together on this national issue shows quite how important securing HS2 in its entirety is to the prospects of UK businesses.