Whoever becomes the next prime minister will commit to HS2, the business secretary has said, despite the frontrunner Boris Johnson being opposed to the scheme. Greg Clark described the £56bn rail project as “crucially important” and said it would have a “transformational” impact on the economy and communities across England. Yet Johnson, who has been critical of HS2, said at the weekend he had already commissioned a review of the high-speed line. Asked if HS2 would definitely go ahead under the new leader, Clark said: “Yes. That can’t be taken away from them.”Asked if Johnson and other candidates’ opposition to HS2 showed they were out of touch with the north, Clark said: “I remember when Boris was mayor of London.

Source: The Guardian June 17, 2019 18:55 UTC