• CONGRATULATIONS to Jonny Bucknell for his efforts to persuade his party of the folly of HS2 (Opposition to HS2, May 18), but the Conservative manifesto’s recommitment to this scheme shows that he has not been listened to.

He is in good company. Since the conference on HS2, held in York in April 2016, various attempts have been made by experts to meet ministers to urge the case for a review, but all have been rebuffed.

In October 54 people experienced in transport planning, regional economics and railway management, wrote to Chris Grayling to request a meeting. On December 2 a civil servant in the High Speed Rail Group of the DfT wrote to say he was not available.

The letter was passed on to Andrew Jones, at the DfT. His diary manager replied in early February saying that because of time pressures Mr Jones would be unable to arrange a meeting.

On February 8 the organisers of the York conference wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, the Treasury, the head of the Government Economic Service and others expressing their concern that the process of the bill authorising HS2 had not allowed a number of significant issues to be properly addressed and offering a meeting.

On March 6 the Chief Secretary to the Treasury replied, saying that there had been ample opportunities for all issues to be raised and examined in detail.

The letter was presumably intended to give the impression the Treasury civil servants shared that view. In fact, we understand that when George Osborne was chancellor, the Treasury was appalled by HS2 but couldn’t say so because he was passionately in favour of it, as was David Cameron.

A competent opposition would be able to exploit government’s arrogance and wilful ignorance. But Labour and the Lib Dems cannot, since their commitment to HS2 is even more extreme than the Conservatives’. Their manifestos not only support HS2 but pledge to extend it to Scotland.

I am a passionate believer in rational and constitutional methods, but it seems that, as with the road programme in the 1970s and 1980s, the only way that common sense can now prevail will be through civil disobedience.

STEPHEN PLOWDEN
Albert Street, NW1