A different kind of political blog.

The consultation on HS2 has been announced today and it is open for your feedback.  You can access the consultation website here.  The Executive Summary can be found here; for the full document please click here.

HS2 is a sore issue in the Chilterns, and rightly so.  However, High Speed Rail has further repercussions, including philosophical and economic questions about the future direction of the country.

My view on HS2 was laid out during the Westminster Hall debate I called last year.

I have prepared a statement on HS2 which can be found in the Where I stand section of my blog. Here is an extract:

I applaud sincerely the Government’s noble intent, but I note that rail has not been governed by the free market for a very long time. There is no doubt that this country needs good-quality infrastructure. We should create the conditions in which unsubsidised enterprise can deliver the optimal solution. That would be the classical Liberal and Conservative approach. In my view, the solution that would emerge is not likely to be high-speed rail. I believe that this programme should be cancelled.

This is also a call to MPs and voters who live next to and along the proposed northern spur, which will travel between Manchester and Leeds: if you wish to oppose HS2 on principle, you must do so now.  Only in this stage of the consultation will the principle of High Speed rail be discussed.

Now is the time for your democratic voice to be heard on HS2.

I attended an HS2 meeting with Philip Hammond in Amersham tonight.

My impression is that the consultation is sincere and that the Secretary of State is willing to engage meaningfully. However, I believe the government is also sincerely committed to the programme.

My main point was that rational economic calculation is not possible without the unhampered formation of prices and that prices in transport today are subject to a range of interventions. That is, far from knowing that HS2 would revitalise the north, we do not even know whether we over-produce transport infrastructure. This is the socialist calculation problem. More on the theory here.

And congratulations to the HS2 Action Alliance for their superb work!

More anon when the papers report the meeting.

Via HMT – Spending Challenge, an attempt to “crowd source” government spending:

The Spending Challenge is your chance to help shape the way government works. We need to reduce the deficit by cutting public spending in a way that is fair and responsible – and you can help.

It could be something small that is quick and easy to put into action, or a more radical change to where and how government works.  Either way, please be as specific as you can.

If you see ideas here already that you like the look of, then rate them and get them moved up the list. And if there’s more you’d like to say, then talk to others in the comments section.

A team has been put together right at the heart of government and their job is to make sure that your ideas and comments are taken seriously – and that the best ideas are taken forward as part of the Spending Review.

The Spending Review will set out four year spending plans for all government departments, as well as considering other areas of spending including welfare. The conclusions of the Spending Review will be published on 20 October 2010.

At a glance, there are some great ideas – scrapping HS2 and not wasting money at the end of the financial year, for example – and some awful or ridiculous ones.

You can play your part, for better or worse, here.