黑洞社区

The shadow chancellor John McDonnell has voiced concerns about HS2 after his first speech in the high profile role at the Labour party conference in Brighton.

When asked about the party鈥檚 position on HS2 by 黑洞社区, McDonnell said: 鈥淎t the moment the party has voted for HS2. But I voted against it. HS2 hasn鈥檛 been able to tell me what route it will take through my constituency.鈥�

A spur of the high speed line is earmarked to go through McDonnell鈥檚 constituency of Hayes & Harlington in South-west London on the way to Heathrow airport, leading McDonnell to oppose the scheme in the past.

黑洞社区 also asked McDonnell for his views on the extension of Right to Buy to housing association properties - . McDonnell said he opposed the policy: 鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 be selling houses when we have the housing crisis.鈥�

In his speech at the party conference, McDonnell said a Labour government would turn the Department for Business, Innvoation and Skills (BIS) into a 鈥減owerful economic development department鈥� with responsibility for ploughing funds into infrastructure improvements.

McDonnell told delegates Labour would put BIS rather than the Treasury in charge of 鈥減ublic investment, infrastructure planning and setting new standards at work for all employees鈥�.

His reasoning for this departure: 鈥淲ell, we just don鈥檛 think the current model can deliver鈥�.

McDonnell also launched the Economic Advisory Committee to advise Labour on the development and implementation of its economic strategy. Members of this group have already been revealed to include economists Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Piketty and David Branchflower.

He added that Labour will 鈥渦se active monetary policy to stimulate demand where necessary,鈥� alluding to the recently dubbed 鈥淧eople鈥檚 QE鈥�.

Yet at a fringe meeting earlier in the day hosted by RICS, Wayne David, shadow minister for the cabinet office, justice and Scotland, could only respond with 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know鈥� when asked if Jeremy Corbyn鈥檚 People鈥檚 Quantitive Easing concept would be used to fund infrastructure projects and new housing.

This follows Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods commenting that she would need to see more detail on the possibility Peoples Quantative Easing being used to fund social housing.

David added that Jeremy Corbyn鈥檚 new political world had seen everything 鈥渢hrown up in the air鈥� and believes it would be 鈥� foolhardy to speculate at this stage鈥� on what the party鈥檚 policies and views on infrastructure will be.

McDonnell in his speech touched on the renationalisation of railways lambasting the tories for criticising Jeremy Corbyn鈥檚 proposal to return rail to public ownership while selling off British assets to China.

鈥淚t seems the state nationalising our assets is ok with the Tories as long as it鈥檚 the Chinese state or in the case of our railways the Dutch or French.鈥�

Meanwhile David gave his personal backing to HS2 albeit with 鈥渞eservations鈥� and a third runway at Heathrow.

David said HS2 was fundamental in creating a 鈥渂alanced economy鈥� in the UK and considers that a new runway has 鈥渆conomically speaking鈥� to be at Heathrow if the country is to develop.

He added that Heathrow expansion would enhance 鈥淲elsh economic development,鈥� particularly if done in conjunction with a high speed rail service.

David admitted though that there are 鈥渨ide differences of opinions鈥� on the subject of Heathrow expansion within the Labour party.

When questioned about the 2013 Independent Armitt Review of Infrastructure report commissioned by the Labour party, David said it was 鈥渇undamentally important鈥� and expects to see it influence policy going forward.