LET’S hope that new Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has now well and truly got the message that the people of Bucks do not want, and will not accept, High Speed 2 cutting a swathe through our beautiful countryside.

The comments last week from House of Commons Speaker John Bercow in opposing the plan were just another illustration of the depth of feeling against this rail line.

Mr Bercow, MP for Buckingham, said the scheme was ‘irresponsible and should be rejected’, adding it was unaffordable due to the state of public finances. His comments came a couple of weeks after fellow MP Cheryl Gillan, a member of the cabinet, accepted a petition containing the names of hundreds of Free Press readers who are appalled by the plan. Mrs Gillan, along with other Bucks MPs, backs the campaign fighting to stop High Speed causing chaos in this county. We assume the message must have filtered through now to Mr Hammond that the people of Bucks simply will not stand for a railway line – which does not even stop here – from ruining our precious landscape.

So surely it’s only right and proper for the Transport Secretary to give us an assurance now, sooner rather than later, that this has been kicked into touch. Our fight to end the blight must be won quickly to lift this terrible threat hanging over all of our heads.