• A CHASTENED Theresa May has promised to govern with humility. That will require a complete change in the behaviour of some of her ministers.

As I recounted in the letter you published on May 25 (Politicians’ and civil servants’ have failed us on HS2), when 54 senior people experienced in transport planning or similar disciplines wrote to Chris Grayling last autumn, asking for a meeting at which they could explain their doubts about HS2, they were refused.

Even Andrew Jones, parliamentary under secretary at the transport department, could not find time for a meeting. Mr Grayling and Mr Jones must have known that many of the people asking for a meeting knew much more about the subject than they did.

A conference on HS2 attended by experts with many different points of view was held in York in April 2016. The conference asked for a complete reappraisal of the project.

A decent opposition should have echoed this call, but Labour and the Liberal Democrats cannot, because they both not only support HS2 but in their manifestos pledged to continue it to Scotland. Both these parties seem to think that HS2 is essential to regenerate the north and reduce Britain’s north-south divide.

If they think that, one can only suppose they have not read the criticisms of experts in regional planning such as Professor John Tomaney.

Labour claims that its manifesto was properly costed. What does it think that extending HS2 to Scotland would cost? Indeed, what does it think that the present scheme would cost?

Does it agree with the official estimate of some £56billion? If so, does it think that that is an acceptable price, and how does it counter Michael Byng’s calculations suggesting that the true figure might be twice as much?

HS2 is as unpopular with the general public as with experts. People are sick of investment in vanity projects while important public services are starved of funds.

Will the three main political parties support the request for a review? If not, it will be their responsibility if their critics, whose attempts over many years to put their case through constitutional channels have been ignored or rebuffed, now turn to civil disobedience.

STEPHEN PLOWDEN
Albert Street, NW1