A major new survey has suggested HS2 is one of the lowest priorities for the public heading into the election, with other infrastructure projects also lagging behind.
Polling figures from more than 2,000 adults found just 1% of British adults say that high speed rail from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester (HS2) is their top priority for government spending.
This was the lowest of all the options, which also included northern transport links, superfast broadband, defence, education and skills, affordable housing, sustainable energy supplies and the NHS, which came out on top.
The only other transport category ‘increasing transport links between northern cities’ also fared poorly, coming second to bottom with only 2% saying it was a top priority. The roll out of superfast broadband only received around 2% as well. This is compared to the NHS, which came top with 53%.
In addition, only 7% of British adults said HS2 is one of their top four priorities and 43% of respondents said HS2 was their lowest priority of all the options tested.
ComRes interviewed 2,049 GB adults online between 25th and 26th March 2015.
The poll was seized on by the Green and Ukip parties, which both want to scrap the controversial £50bn project.
Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin responded: ‘It is amazing that politicians from the main parties think that HS2 is a vote winner, when every poll has made it clear that the public have not been bought by the spin about HS2. This latest poll shows that despite all the spin and political bluster trying to drum up support for HS2, its support for HS2 keeps on dropping, and is now in the basement.’
