Christian Wolmar

1 month ago | christianwolmar.co.uk | Christian Wolmar

1 month ago | christianwolmar.co.uk | Christian Wolmar

Consultation papers are, by their very nature, rather dishonest exercises. They set out a series of ideas which are supposedly open to discussion and even amendment. But if a government minister knows what they want and has the backing of the rest of the Cabinet, then the process is ultimately a sham. Whatever the respondents say or suggest, the government’s plan will be enacted and any opposition quietly ignored.

1 month ago | christianwolmar.co.uk | Christian Wolmar

In all the fuss about the future structure of the railways, there’s a rather big elephant in the room that has been left chomping away at the magic money tree. And every day that passes is a missed opportunity to develop a positive story about the railways and turn a disastrous situation around – at least partly – on the nation’s biggest ever transport scheme. That project is, of course, HS2. Remember it? This behemothd is eating up some £150m every week without any clear control or oversight.

1 month ago | christianwolmar.co.uk | Christian Wolmar

The cost of finishing HS2 between Birmingham Curzon Street and  Old Oak Common has soared to £81 bn (at 2019 prices) and the work will not be completed until 2036 at the earliest with 2039 being more likely.. That’s the information given to ministers in a report from the new head of HS2 Ltd, Mark Wild from his preliminary assessment of the scheme after taking over the job as chief executive in December.

1 month ago | christianwolmar.co.uk | Christian Wolmar

I am a member of the Labour party. Indeed, I was a parliamentary candidate in a by election in 2016 and tried to become an MP until recently. However, after Rachel Reeves’ exposition of Labour plans in her recent speech, the chances of me remaining a paid up member hang by a cotton thread. I do not mention this lightly. I have been a party member through thick and thin for decades, though I did – rightly as history shows – depart over the Iraq war and later rejoin.