The leader of Buckinghamshire County Council said today’s release of a scathing report into HS2 “totally vindicates everything we have said from the outset” about the project.

Martin Tett once again referred to HS2 as a ‘vanity project’ in the wake of the damning report from the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee.

Cllr Tett, who is also the chairman of the 51m alliance - made up of representatives of local authorities that will be affected by the route of the line - said: “We have long argued that HS2 will not deliver the long-term regeneration benefits the government claims, that it will draw greater wealth to the capital.

“We have always said rebalancing the economy would be better achieved by linking up the northern cities.

“The economic case for HS2 is weak, the cost unjustifiable, the supposed benefits unproven - and this report sets out in stark detail the concerns we have voiced from the word go.

“This report totally vindicates everything we have said from the outset. In the interests of the public purse and the country's future, the government needs to seriously reconsider its priorities.

“The next government and HS2 Ltd must go back to the drawing board and rethink the entire project.

“It’s too costly, and the consequences of getting it wrong are too far-reaching not to take this last opportunity to act in the best interests of the country.”

Joe Rukin, campaign manager of the Stop HS2 group, added: “We very much welcome the findings of this report, as the Lords have paid attention to what so many of us have been saying for five years about the case for HS2, and have concluded that there isn’t a case for HS2.

“This is surely another nail in the coffin of HS2, which is going to be a massively toxic issue at the upcoming election, as by continuing to support HS2, politicians only demonstrate how out of touch they are.”