Friday 10 March 2023

Richard Burge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said:

“The success of HS2 is crucial to ensure equal distribution of opportunities across communities in the UK, and every aspect of the strategy that is removed, delayed or hindered will affect thousands of businesses in London and right across the country. London businesses need fast, direct access to the Midlands, northern England and Scotland which will allow the nations and regions across the country to contribute to and benefit from the economic powerhouse that is London.

“Cutting down the scale and delaying the building of HS2 will only diminish its efficacy in the long term, which in turn will undermine productivity and growth across the UK. What businesses across the country need now is final and unambiguous assurances about the destinations, timings and scale of HS2. The UK has been starved of productivity growth for over a decade, and infrastructure decisions like this will do nothing to lift an already anaemic outlook.”

ENDS