UKIP Leader's defection call to anti-HS2 councillors (From Bucks Free Press)

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage calls on councillors fighting High Speed 2 to join his party and labels scheme 'disastrous'

12:23pm Tuesday 10th January 2012 in News By James Nadal

UK Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage. Credit: Gawain Towler

'DEFECT to us' is the message today from UK Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage to councillors fighting High Speed 2.

Mr Farage called the £33bn scheme 'disastrous' and said Buckinghamshire's countryside would still be 'butchered' despite mitigation measures announced.

After the Government's approval was confirmed this morning as expected, Mr Farage called on elected members of the county's various councils to join him.

Mr Farage, one of Bucks' European MPs, said: "UKIP is and remains the only political party opposed to HS2 and thus is a natural home for those councillors who have been campaigning against the proposals and seen their parties veer away from their views.

"The scheme shows how out of touch the political elite are with real people in the country.

"How can you expect them to swallow the £32billion cost whilst being told they have to endure austerity measures as there's no money?”

Mr Farage, who fought to be Princes Risborough's MP at the last General Election, said: "The business case is weak and one has to question if the vast expense can be justified simply to shave a mere twenty-three minutes off the existing journey time.

"Environmentally the scheme would be disastrous despite the extra spending to try and limit the desecration of the countryside.

“Chunks of the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside in my constituency will still be butchered and this is before you consider the amount of fuel that will need to be burnt in order to get one of these trains to travel at its maximum speed."

UKIP has three councillors in Bucks, including Cllr Brian Pearce at Wycombe District Council.