Stone MP votes against, but HS2 Bill gets green light

Stone MP Sir Bill Cash voted against the HS2 Bill on Tuesday 22nd March in the House of Commons.

Despite a proposed amendment from Sir Bill to try to stop the Bill’s third reading in Parliament, MPs voted to back the £55 billion HS2 project (by 399 to 42 votes) for the third time.

This vote effectively confirms the construction of the high-speed rail line. The Bill – which will now go to the House of Lords for approval – gives the powers required to construct phase 1 from London to Birmingham.

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Sir Bill has consistently campaigned with leading local action groups against HS2 and in his own right as MP for the Stone constituency. Although this specific Bill confers the powers required to construct phase 1 of the proposed HS2 scheme from Euston to Birmingham, Sir Bill has argued that the Stone constituency is directly affected as Phase 1 will set the standards for Phase 2, the extension to Manchester and Leeds that will affect Staffordshire and parts of Stone.

The second phase of HS2 will see it roughly following the M6 near Stone and passing near Walton, Darlaston and Swynnerton, skirting round Swynnerton Park on its way north.