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Conservatives refuse to back Labour’s high speed rail plans

In a move which will cause of considerable unease throughout the rail industry, the Tories have refused to endorse plans for high speed rail.

The move came when they refused to view an advanced copy of the white paper, which covers plans to build a high speed network in Britain, because they felt it would be unfair to draw up plans without a proper public consultation of those who would be affected by the plans.

Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary told The Guardian: “We would not want to close down debate on a route before the people affected by it have the chance to be heard. It would be very unfair for the people affected if they thought there was a cosy political consensus on the route.”

Lord Adonis responded by saying that high speed rail plans should be ‘above politics’.

However Ms Villiers has said that the Conservatives were not willing ‘to give a political blank cheque to Labour.’

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