HS2 will ‘destroy’ six walks (From The Oxford Times)

• "@Andrew: Oxford - it would be interesting to put this idea to the test - a referendum with two mutually exclusive options - something along the lines of a ballot paper with "The govt. believes future transport capacity requires serious enhancement - the public purse will not accommodate the funding required without incurring undue interest charges on the debt so you (the British public) can have either a) HS2 or something very much like it or b) a series (specified on the ballot paper) of private toll funded motorways - put a cross next to a) or b) to express your choice" - Given that there would be a finite number of schemes, yes, in areas where those road schemes offered some immediate local benefits, I can see a majority in favour but remember this would be a National project and overall I have no doubt, given the visceral hostility to the notion of road toll charges in general, which option would gain the majority of support across the whole UK electorate - there are no easy choices available here but the govt. has to make one to provide for the future - doing nothing isn't an option so it would have to be either a) or b) as described above, Now put aside this theoretical challenge and consider that parties actually included their policy ideas in their respective manifestos for the last General Election in 2010 and 88% of votes cast opted for either Labour, Conservative or Lib Dem - each of those parties carried a clear commitment to High Speed Rail - new toll road weren't even mentioned because they knew this idea was electorally toxic, electorally - so the voters have already made their collective choice and its a) - so it's time to stop prevaricating and start building!"
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