Boris Johnson commends Amersham and Chesham MP Dame Cheryl Gillan in his HS2 statement.

The controversial HS2 was given the green light earlier today and the Prime Minister gave a statement in the House of Commons.

He personally commended Dame Cheryl who is currently recovering from a major operation.

Mr Johnson said: "The designs have been improved immeasurably thanks to the tireless contributions of campaigners including my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham.”

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Dame Cheryl said: “Following the statement the Prime Minister rang me personally and whilst I cannot either agree with or welcome this statement, I have assured him that I will continue to forensically scrutinise this project and that both HS2 personnel and Government must be held to account for the damage that they have already done to community relations and peoples’ lives in Buckinghamshire.”

Dame Cheryl has asked for a dedicated Minister and for regular National Audit Office examinations of every aspect of HS2 to minimise the risks to her constituents and the tax payer.