Today is a sad day for me and my constituents and for friends from all over the nation who have been involved in the fight to stop HS2 over the last 11 years.
Obviously, I remain concerned by the environmental impact of HS2, and by the financial and governance issues of this project which have become increasingly worrying.
This is a sad day but it also a day to accept that we must come together, as with the other great national project on which there is division, in a spirit of optimism for the future. This project is to go ahead, and it must be a success.
To that end, it is important that we re-work the plan as necessary. We need to make sure above all that the Northern powerhouse rail links, which are so desperately needed, are built in the very near future. We need to ensure that tight financial controls, along with minimising disruption and environmental impact are uppermost in the thinking of those who run the project.
I am sad, but I am also prepared to row in behind a new and improved HS2. I really do hope we are able to make it work for the nation as a whole.
