“The fact that the Green Party would even contemplate such a motion at conference is deeply shocking to me as I see it as the Party of last political hope for our countries bartered bio-diversity. Should conference pass it I would immediately cancel my membership.”
–Marilyn Gaunt, Green Party Member, Ludlow.
“The case for HS2 is not supported by science. There are no independent assessments of carbon impact, eg:
- Embodied carbon (carbon content of steel, concrete, all construction activity).
- Operational carbon over a 60 year life (this is normal for road schemes). This would have to get to grips with how the electricity to run the trains is generated.
- Loss of trees/hedgerows.
- Scrutiny of the HS2 Ltd numbers of modal shift. How many air trips and how many car trips would actually transfer from air and car to HS2.
It would be wrong to support any transport infrastructure project in the absence of these data.
–John Whitelegg, Herefordshire Green Party.
“I wrote a letter to my MP a couple of years ago, after visiting the protest camp at Euston, and stated my opposition to the project. My views haven’t changed. At the very least, it is a waste of money which should have been spent improving northern rail links and reopening stations and branch lines closed by the Beeching report in the 60’s!”
–Paul Foster, SINE (Stop Incineration North East).
“An additional reason why people in Birmingham are against HS2, having protested vigorously against it before it was a done deal, is that as well as having destroyed businesses and livelihoods around the site of the new station, it promises to turn Birmingham into yet another dormitory town for London, where the huge disparity between London and Birmingham house prices will make the rail fare seem like a price worth paying for people who work in London, and lead to a rise in Birmingham house prices which people who work there cannot afford.”
-Margaret Okole, Birmingham Green Party.
“I voted Green Party for the first time last local elections. If the Green Party finds it supports HS2 I’ll not be able to vote for it again. I’ve seen the devastation HS2 is causing ( and the promised restoration will be too little too late judging by the company’s on going on the ground attitude to the land that can already be seen ) and that is not something the Green Party should be supporting.”
-Jessica Upton.
“I am an elected Green in a ward devastated by HS2. Supporting HS2 would be an utter betrayal of everything I have campaigned for and of everyone who voted for me and the Green Party. HS2 is the wrong – economically, socially, environmentally – answer to the right question: how do we create a sustainable low carbon public transport system across the UK? We must continue to say no to HS2!”
–James Kennedy, Warwick District Green Party.
“HS2 is an environmental disaster and has no place within the Green Party. It is the antithesis of all that we stand for.”
–Matt Lowe, West Berkshire Green Party.
“Now is not the time to give in to corporate greed. Please do not lose us any more faith in humanity.”
-Isabelle Detheridge.
“I spent weeks last year putting together a report about HS2. I used to work as a corporate responsibility advisers, sometimes for industries much more dubious and unpopular than rail construction. Even I was shocked at not only all the transgressions above but at the outright contempt and highly unethical, at times criminal behaviour displayed repeatedly by HS2 and its henchmen, oops sorry… contractors. We cannot morally support it or we are lost.”
–Deborah Smith, Chichester & Arun Green Party.
“I am astonished that any Green could consider backing HS2.”
-Linda Ward North Oxfordshire Green Party.
“The main reason I decided to vote Green at the last election was because of their opposition to HS2. I know I wasn’t alone. They gave us hope that their opposition to this wretched project would hopefully mean it could be stopped – particularly if the encouraging surge of support towards the party continued. Should this policy change there will be many votes (mine for certain) and possible / current members lost.”
-Simon Pitts, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
“As a regular train user, whether I get somewhere 20 seconds earlier than I would’ve done is neither here nor there. HS2 is a colossal waste of time, money and resources which would be much better spent dealing with the climate emergency.”
–Harry Hayfield, Ceredigion Green Party.
“As a community impacted by HS2. I can testify to the disgusting way the organisation has treated people and communities in its way. I can testify to the lies, the poor planning and the lack of mitigation following consultations. I made pledges on the doorstep to those residents and I won’t go back on my word as a Green, the other parties abandoned them, I didn’t, the Green Party didn’t. I may have to consider both my candidacy in the next election and my membership of the party should the Party now betray these people.”
-Brent Poland, Erewash Green Party (Parliamentary Candidate).
“I feel that if the green party endorses this policy then it would damage the Greens credibility as time and time again we are hearing of the negative impact of this Project and I believe the Greens would gain support if they opposed this project.”
-Ricky Oates, Stop HS2 Back Office.
“HS2 is a cement and carbon intensive pre-COVID transport model in a post COVID digital world which needs degrowth and slowing down in order to tackle the urgent climate and ecological emergency. It’s about corporate shareholders profits from decimating our wildlife. I will resign from the party if it supports HS2.”
-Mr N J Savage, Malvern Hills Green Party.
“There is little to support net zero or protection of the environment within the plans or rhetoric around HS2.”
-David Holloway, Extinction Rebellion.
“I will leave GP if the party supports HS2 ecocide.”
-Mel Moden, Wilts (Chippenham) Green Party.
“High speed rail is carbon intensive and very unlikely ever to be suitable for a small country like the UK. This particular project is hugely destructive and brings no benefit to most people. The money could be much better spent elsewhere.”
-Nicola Watson, Lincoln Green Party.
“It does not make sense I this small country to destroy so much natural habitat for the sake of minutes for business people who now use the internet for meeting.”
-Susan Ward, Christian Climate Action.
“HS2 is very obvious to all the public as a bulldozer to Britain’s forests. HS2 is overpriced especially when the people need far better financial support in the energy crisis when huge oil/gas companies are no doubt making massive billions from the public. Far greater logical thinking is required in this government to STOP HS2 in its tracks.”
-Philip Davies, Trafford Green Party.
“HS2 is harmful for Liverpool as it is clearly off the map for high speed rail. Currently Liverpool has roughly equal London journey time with Manchester. HS2 underlines the relegation of Liverpool as a major city. This is important as, I fear, the economic base of my city is precarious and needs widening. HS2 will cause (and already is causing) economic activity to be attracted away to Manchester.”
-John Coyne, Liverpool Green Party.
“HS2 is a ludicrous waste of time, money and environment. It is so self important that ordinary people and communities cannot challenge it and have no hopes of their fears being heard or recognised. It must be stopped.”
-Hazel Ball.
“This [the open letter] is about the Truth of the devastation of HS2, which is completely unacceptable and it’s definitely NOT green.”
-Juliet Carter, Green Party Member.
“HS2 is NOT GREEN.”
-Isobel Russell, Bath & North-East Somerset Green Party.
“I cannot even begin to contemplate that the Green Party would support the monstrosity that is HS2. I have been a Tory voter all of my life but have finally had my head turned and voted Green at the last local elections and intended to do so at the May locals and any future general election. A Green party swing to support HS2 leaves me, and countless others, to rethink.”
-Stephen Colclough.
“How anyone in the Green Party can not hate HS2 with a vergence is beyond me.”
–Heather L Peacock, Save the Trees Kirklees.
“Under the threat of the sixth mass extinction, any Green party worthy of its name cannot support an ecocidal project that destroys ancient woodland such as HS2, a resource demanding rip off that also adds large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere in the critical years and decades ahead. Instead we need less destructive investment in the general railway infrastructure.”
-Neil Salter, Green Party Member.
“I am opposed to HS2 because of its environmental and ecological damage its inflicting along its route, its cost, and its false narrative it reduces carbon emissions.”
-Peter Thomas Briggs, Aylesbury Green Party.
“Know, with the felling of just one mature oak tree (thousands & thousands have been felled in Warwickshire alone, by HS2), habitats for up to 2000 species have been lost. Hedgerows & farm land have been destroyed. So called ‘mitigation’ by HS2 has been paltry & deluded. Our increasingly broken food network is visible here, as rich arable land is now barren, dessicated & compromised. Sound travels faster here, where there are no hedgerows, wildlife is absent. Rain floods over disturbed, damaged soil. Corporations are intent on short term profit while the birds find it increasingly difficult to find safe & available places to build their nests. This is just one small facet of the destruction that goes alongside HS2. Please, support our planet, not profit. Thank You.”
-Xandra Gilchrist.
“This motion to back HS2 should be rejected unanimously and the continued stance by the Green Party against HS2 maintained.”
-Alexander McConnell, Green Party Member.
“Supporting HS2 is madness. They are responsible for huge environmental devastation. Look at the evidence from the Wildlife Trusts!”
-Sophia Hale-Sutton, Norwich Green Party.
“Now is not the time to give in to corporate greed. Please do not lose us any more faith in humanity.”
-Isabelle Detheridge.
“Huge areas of mature woodland has been completely destroyed in the process of building HS2. This means the habitats of wildlife are no more. The Green Party must oppose HS2.”
-Cathy Gaulter, Green Party Member.
“The billions spent on HS2 should be spent on improving public transport for everyone, not only those able to pay what are likely to be higher rail fares. It should be spent on upgrading existing rail infrastructure and services, on buses connecting all communities with where people want to travel, on other public transport solutions such as locally-based demand responsive transport, and on provision for walking and cycling over shorter distances.”
-Joanna Collins, High Peak Green Party.
“It’s ATTROCIOUS that the government can still contemplate spending £100million per week on a high speed train that’s no longer necessary since more people work from home. It’s not affordable, needed or wanted by at least 90% of the British public. How can the Green Party support such wasteful destruction of our planet?”
-Donna Wyton.
“We should not support this. I refuse to support this.”
-Si Frost, Broxtowe Green Party.
“I have been against this from the start and witnessed some of the wanton destruction near me at Great Missenden. Money could be more sensibly be spent elsewhere. ( The North, even!)”
-David O’Connor, Green Party Member.
“This abomination forced upon our countryside must be stopped NOW.”
-C Healey.
“As a self-inflicted disaster, HS2 is the environmental equivalent of Brexit.”
-Martin Blake, South Lincolnshire Green Party.
“This motion makes a mockery of our policy work and the basic philosophical principles. It certainly goes against the spirit of Wildlife and Habitats policy that was passed at conference. It will undermine a lot of the work many policy groups are working towards too. Should have been ruled out of order and not in line with founding principles of Green Party. For any discussion there should have been a panel set up to discuss this prior to submitting such a challenging motion.”
-Georgina Wright, Stockport Green Party. Member of the Wildlife and Habitats PWG.
“Say no to the greed and excessive profit made from tax payers which is HS2″
-Keith Farmer.
“As a party member and manager of an organic farm, I am shocked at the slick propaganda used by the pro-HS2 lobbying group. This overblown vanity project is anathema to the kind of affordable, green public transport that our part has always championed. And under no circumstances can we support a project that is decimating wildlife and green spaces to this extent. Would we really stand in opposition to the Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, RSPB and a host of our other allies? I will resign my membership if the Green Party votes in favour of this monstrosity.”
-Suzanne Savage, Malvern Hills Green Party Member.
“If the Green Party support HS2, I will immediately cancel my Life Membership of the party. It was bad enough that the Green Party put forward a pro HS2 Greater Manchester Mayoral candidate. Don’t follow Andy Burnham and Labour; we are Greens!”
-Matthew Parkinson, Cheshire East Green Party.
“It is outrageous the Green party should entertain the idea of supporting HS2 . It won’t be carbon neutral for 120 years (their figures) and is trashing everything green in its path and much more for temporary depots!”
-Carole Humphreys, Unison.
“A high speed rail network is great thing if done right, in the right place and for the right reasons. HS2 achieves none of these things.”
-Rod Hart, Cambridgeshire GP.
“Please do not greenwash this destructive HS2 design.”
-Nigel Hennerley, Cheshire East Green Party committee member.
“Thank you, powerful statement [the open letter]. We are in a Climate Emergency, the brake has to go on NOW!!!”
-Maria Gallastegui, Peace Strike.
“HS2 has been an opportunity for a land grab.”
-Tom Casey, Stockton & Hartlepool Green Party.
“I have never supported HS2 because of the environmental damage including the felling of many ancient woodlands. Therefore would be upset to see the Green Party supporting it.”
-David Clark, Darlington Green Party.
“If the Green Party support HS2 they deserve to lose a hundred thousand supporters and more. I have voted Green in the past but NEVER EVER again if they are pro-HS2”
–Brian Elliott.
“I am a life member of the Green Party and joined in 1988 as soon as I moved back to the UK. HS2 is an environmental abomination and should be strongly opposed by the Green Party.”
–Hazel Dawe, Oxford City and Oxfordshire Green Party.
“I will leave the Green Party if it decides to support HS2.”
–Heather Tailby, Islington Green Party.
Greens Against HS2 