One million jobs claim is a disgrace

A few weeks ago I wrote in my Rail column (https://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/2011/08/rail-676-dishonest-arguments-by-both-pro-and-anti-hs2/)  about the dishonest arguments being pushed by both sides in the debate over HSR. While the antis had certainly been a bit dishonest with the evidence from surveys, by far the most outlandish claim was from the Campaign for High Speed Rail which claimed that the line would create 1m new jobs.

As I wrote at the time, this was patent nonsense, based on an analysis by Volterra the consulting arm which said nothing of the sort. Instead it suggested that the creation of a high speed line might, if various other conditions were fulfilled, support that number of jobs, but even then the analysis was thin and tendentious in the extreme. However, even though the clear error has been pointed out to them, the Campaign continues to use on its website a banner saying that the line will create 1m new jobs.

It has not responded either to my article or to emails I have sent the campaign. Putting out such false claims is, ultimately, an own goal and it is time the Campaign started presenting honest evidence in its cause, rather than what is basically a lie.

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