Insensitive actions by two academics

What is more difficult to understand is why two academics from Warwick University, Lord Robert Skidelsky and Prof Mike Clements, saw fit to put their names to a letter to the FT last Friday compiled by the Campaign for High Speed Rail which was part of their PR assault to pave the way for Ms Greening’s announcement. The same Campaign for High Speed Rail which is supported by many of the corporations who hope to make revenues and profits out of the construction and operation of the new line.

The letter referred to unproven, highly speculative claims in a report for a group of Northern Cities that HS2 would support significant jobs growth 10 or 20 years hence.

The letter did not refer to the enormous cost of the scheme ( a significant part of which will flow out of the country ) and its impact on our National Debt. Nor did it refer to the alternative ways in which £ 33bn could be used more successfully to promote employment by means of wider transport improvements or specific regional development initiatives.

The letter did not refer to the fact that rail journey times between our major cities are considerably quicker than in almost all of our major economic competitors including France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the USA and China.

The letter did not refer to the fact that there has been no attempt for HS2 to follow existing transport corridors and the particularly damaging “route 3” has been chosen to save literally a handful of minutes.

There was, of course, no mention of the fact that the train service from Coventry to London will be degraded, potentially turning the city into a backwater. There is also no reference to the very significant adverse impact on Kenilworth not to mention Burton Green.

In the circumstances the actions of the two academics are at best insensitive and at worst could be considered an attack by the university on its local host community. - Martin Halliday, Arborfields Close, Kenilworth.