TRANSPORT SECRETARY Patrick McLoughlin has hit back at opponents of HS2 in the Wolverhampton area.
But opponents of the scheme have renewed their calls for it to be abandoned.
“HS2 will be good news for Birmingham, so it is good news for Walsall, Wolverhampton and the Black Country – and for the rest of the West Midlands,” according to Mr McLoughlin, who said he grew up in Cannock.
The Transport Secretary was speaking at a meeting on the fringe of the Conservative conference in Manchester in response to Douglas Hansen-Luke, the prospective Tory general election candidate for Walsall North.
Mr Hansen-Luke said he was concerned that the Conservative leaders of Walsall and Wolverhampton councils were opposed to the project because they believed it would bring no benefits to the area.
Sir Richard Leese, the Leader of Manchester city council and another speaker at the fringe meeting, said: “The Black Country and Birmingham need to get their acts together and make sure they get the best connections to the new high speed network as well as new services on the existing network.”
But Stop HS2 Campaign Manager Joe Rukin said: “No-one is buying the idea that HS2 will come in on time or on budget, not even the new Chair of HS2 Ltd, David Higgins, who said he isn’t sure it will."