East Lancashire MP calls for high-speed rail plans to create new jobs (From Lancashire Telegraph)

The government really need to get there act together on this and make sure its British workers first on this. The sort of money its going to cost they need to make sure it goes back into the economy. And before anyone accuses me of being racist think on, the billions paid out to build this cannot be earned back in ticket fares its got to be spent here and not go abroad.

I fully agree with Mr Jones but forgive me for thinking this high speed rail malarkey is just a white elephant

It'll be like the Olympics - without the associated kudos. Only to benefit the south but the Northerners will be told it's a national benefit! And they'll be telling us this with a straight face!

buckoff wrote:
The government really need to get there act together on this and make sure its British workers first on this. The sort of money its going to cost they need to make sure it goes back into the economy. And before anyone accuses me of being racist think on, the billions paid out to build this cannot be earned back in ticket fares its got to be spent here and not go abroad.

We need to stop being frightened of being accused of racism when we talk about British jobs. The whole racism fear has to stop. It's been holding us back for years now.

Chris P Bacon wrote:
It'll be like the Olympics - without the associated kudos. Only to benefit the south but the Northerners will be told it's a national benefit! And they'll be telling us this with a straight face!

Lets face it the only reason they are talking about this is so that BBC workers at Salford can actually still iive in London and commute :)

I predict we will hear this rhetoric for a few years always promising but never delivering. They have a few hurdles to cross yet, the same as last time they tried TVG type transport, in that for the train to go fast the track needs be in a relatively straight line. This will mean compulsory purchase of property, compensation for house owners who will suddenly one day be out in the country and the next find themselves next to a rail track and the subsequent court cases and cost surrounding this.

The only people making money here will be lawyers as usual.

White Elephant. Spend the money on putting fibre optic to every house in the country. This is the future like it or not.

icannotrace wrote:

Chris P Bacon wrote:
It'll be like the Olympics - without the associated kudos. Only to benefit the south but the Northerners will be told it's a national benefit! And they'll be telling us this with a straight face!

Lets face it the only reason they are talking about this is so that BBC workers at Salford can actually still iive in London and commute :)

I predict we will hear this rhetoric for a few years always promising but never delivering. They have a few hurdles to cross yet, the same as last time they tried TVG type transport, in that for the train to go fast the track needs be in a relatively straight line. This will mean compulsory purchase of property, compensation for house owners who will suddenly one day be out in the country and the next find themselves next to a rail track and the subsequent court cases and cost surrounding this.

The only people making money here will be lawyers as usual.

White Elephant. Spend the money on putting fibre optic to every house in the country. This is the future like it or not.

Yes, you're correct. We'll get all the inconvenience and they'll get all the benefits.

I wonder if British companies will get the contract to build the rolling stock? or will companies like Bombardier be slapped in the face again.

Chris P Bacon wrote:

icannotrace wrote:

Chris P Bacon wrote:
It'll be like the Olympics - without the associated kudos. Only to benefit the south but the Northerners will be told it's a national benefit! And they'll be telling us this with a straight face!

Lets face it the only reason they are talking about this is so that BBC workers at Salford can actually still iive in London and commute :)

I predict we will hear this rhetoric for a few years always promising but never delivering. They have a few hurdles to cross yet, the same as last time they tried TVG type transport, in that for the train to go fast the track needs be in a relatively straight line. This will mean compulsory purchase of property, compensation for house owners who will suddenly one day be out in the country and the next find themselves next to a rail track and the subsequent court cases and cost surrounding this.

The only people making money here will be lawyers as usual.

White Elephant. Spend the money on putting fibre optic to every house in the country. This is the future like it or not.

Yes, you're correct. We'll get all the inconvenience and they'll get all the benefits.

Christ, I wouldn't want to get stuck between you two doom mongers at a party.

Is there no good in your grey world?

buckoff wrote:
The government really need to get there act together on this and make sure its British workers first on this. The sort of money its going to cost they need to make sure it goes back into the economy. And before anyone accuses me of being racist think on, the billions paid out to build this cannot be earned back in ticket fares its got to be spent here and not go abroad.

We need out of Europe to implement that unfortunately.

But we're in Europe and it's a free for all instead. On that and a whole load of other unfair practices.

We have youngsters in this country desperate for work but they are losing out to foreigners who can then claim benefits at the the British tax payers expense as well. It clearly isn't right.

What Graham Jones is suggesting, albeit on a general level, is decent though for the hand we are currently being dealt with the EU.

Blue sky thinking but wouldn't it be nice if the government only awarded contacts to companies which didn't feature fat cats as well - say the general manager could only earn 10 times the lowest paid worker or they aren't allowed to tender.

That's what should be brought in more. The whole public sector should adopt the same policy for all companies providing goods or services. We'd soon get that wealth more fairly distributed.

Public bodies themselves should adopt the same principle - no fat cats on more than ten times the lowest paid employee.

Jack Herer wrote:

buckoff wrote:
The government really need to get there act together on this and make sure its British workers first on this. The sort of money its going to cost they need to make sure it goes back into the economy. And before anyone accuses me of being racist think on, the billions paid out to build this cannot be earned back in ticket fares its got to be spent here and not go abroad.

We need out of Europe to implement that unfortunately.

But we're in Europe and it's a free for all instead. On that and a whole load of other unfair practices.

We have youngsters in this country desperate for work but they are losing out to foreigners who can then claim benefits at the the British tax payers expense as well. It clearly isn't right.

What Graham Jones is suggesting, albeit on a general level, is decent though for the hand we are currently being dealt with the EU.

Blue sky thinking but wouldn't it be nice if the government only awarded contacts to companies which didn't feature fat cats as well - say the general manager could only earn 10 times the lowest paid worker or they aren't allowed to tender.

That's what should be brought in more. The whole public sector should adopt the same policy for all companies providing goods or services. We'd soon get that wealth more fairly distributed.

Public bodies themselves should adopt the same principle - no fat cats on more than ten times the lowest paid employee.

'Blue sky thinking'? "Blue sky thinking'? What Wall Street bank do you wear your braces at?

Is that you raising the flag and seeing who salutes it?

buckoff wrote:
The government really need to get there act together on this and make sure its British workers first on this. The sort of money its going to cost they need to make sure it goes back into the economy. And before anyone accuses me of being racist think on, the billions paid out to build this cannot be earned back in ticket fares its got to be spent here and not go abroad.

The only thing this government is interested in is which foreign employment agency can do it the cheapest and who is going to put the most in the brown envelope..The government couldn't care less about the young people of Britain.

Alas, the disasterous, politically disorientated, politically (in)correct, champagne socialist policies of "New Labour" have consigned the youth of the U,K, to the scrap heap. Never, Never, Never let "New Labour = Old Lies" back into power. Yes "New Labour" led the country into bankruptcy, both ploitically and morally. We must be thankful that they are now in the political wilderness. Ed Milliband? I nearly split my sides laughing every time he and Ed BBBBBBBalls and co show their ridiculous faces and promote their ridiculous nonsense.

Deus Vobiscum

DEO VOLENTE wrote:
Alas, the disasterous, politically disorientated, politically (in)correct, champagne socialist policies of "New Labour" have consigned the youth of the U,K, to the scrap heap. Never, Never, Never let "New Labour = Old Lies" back into power. Yes "New Labour" led the country into bankruptcy, both ploitically and morally. We must be thankful that they are now in the political wilderness. Ed Milliband? I nearly split my sides laughing every time he and Ed BBBBBBBalls and co show their ridiculous faces and promote their ridiculous nonsense.

Deus Vobiscum

And here's the vomitus leper pretending he's 'clever; by hiding behind Latin!

Oh, and to him, 'New Labour' killed Kennedy and were responsible for both world wars. And Simon Cowell.

How much of the equipment involved in constructing and running HS2 will be Uk made - that's if the Uk still exists? The rails will be made in Scunthorpe, the sleepers will be manufactured in the Uk too and the ballast will come from Uk quarries but, probably, most of the high tech tools and electrical equipment will be imported as will the rolling stock. When the government is planning this massive project they should be also planning to build factories to produce rolling stock etc. Any company wanting to provide the rolling stock should be required to build a factory in the UK to produce the trains not only for this project but for trains to replce those now reaching the end of their lives on the current network, Sadly, previous Tory governments allowed almost all our train building plants to close so that now almost all trains are imported - a ridiculous state of affairs.