High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill

Debate between Chris Clarkson and Robert Largan

2nd reading
Monday 20th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Robert Largan]

Well, I am very glad I took that intervention. I would say that perhaps George Osborne did expect to be here, but that is beside the point.

As I was saying, I believe that the Government deserve significant credit for taking a very long-term decision that will be of huge benefit to the country, although they will not get any credit for it for a long time to come. Let us contrast that with the Leader of the Opposition, who spent his first four years in Parliament focusing on two objectives. The first was to block High Speed 2 and the billions of investment in the north of England. The second was to try to make the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) Prime Minister.

[Chris Clarkson]

Does my hon. Friend think that is proof that the only north-west the Leader of the Opposition is interested in is NW1?

[Robert Largan]

I could not have put it better myself. When I flagged this point earlier, Opposition Members said it is a constituency interest, which is very revealing. A Member of Parliament’s list of priorities is supposed to be country, constituency, party and then self. It is slightly worrying that, when the interests of the country come up against the interests of a narrow corner of north London, the leader of the Labour party opts for self, party, constituency and then country last, which is very revealing about his priorities.

HS2 is an important infrastructure project, so I take great pleasure in busting some of the myths we have heard this evening. A series of myths about high-speed rail have been perpetuated over the last decade by a combination of muddled thinking and well-financed interest groups, and I will take them one by one.

As we have heard tonight, this is all about time. Who needs an extra 30 minutes off rail journeys down to London? First, this has never been primarily about journey times and speed; this has always been about capacity.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Clarkson and Robert Largan

Monday 26th April 2021 Commons Chamber

[Robert Largan (High Peak) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all students taking T-levels receive a high-quality industry placement.

[Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all students taking T-levels receive a high-quality industry placement.