Category Archives: Penny Gaines

Crazy anti Hs2 campaigner of the week. No 22

31 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by in Anti Hs2 mob, Crazy anti Hs2 campaigner of the week, Hs2, Penny Gaines, Railways

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Yes, it’s back – after a gap of nearly 18 months! To be honest, there’s been no point in doing one of these for two reasons. One is that there’s so few of these people left nowadays the field is pretty thin and two – the ones left are all pretty much crazy. If you don’t believe me, go and have a look at the comments from people posting on the StopHs2 Facebook page!

But I couldn’t resist resurrecting it after seeing this classic tweet from StopHs2 ‘Chair’ Penny Gaines which went out earlier today. It’s an absolute pearler! The levels of egotism and perspective failure are weapons-grade. Let’s take a look…

“I told them my vote will depend on whether they oppose Hs2” tweets Gaines. Well, I’m sure the canvasser who knocked on her door must be absolutely sick to death of hearing that said to them. Wait, where does Gaines live? That absolute hotbed of anti HS2 activity, otherwise known as err, Bournemouth…

Yes, Bournemouth. Now I don’t know which of the two constituencies she lives in (East or West) but I’m willing to bet that HS2 isn’t exactly high up on their list of concerns. Brexit? Absolutely. The NHS? Almost certainly – but not HS2!

So, how many people in the two constituencies signed that last daft and doomed StopHs2 petition? Here’s the results.

Wow! All of 31 eh? I’m sure that’ll really make Tobias Ellwood MP change his mind on HS2. Oh, wait, he’s a strong supporter of the project as he’s written here as recently as August 2019! Meanwhile, in Bournemouth West…

Oh dear, just 17 signatures, all of 0.016%. I’m sure that’s giving sitting MP Conor Burns and his canvassers sleepless nights! He’s been absent for the past couple of votes on HS2, but then he’s now a Government Minister, so the idea that he’ll vote against party policy is moonshine. It’s also worth mentioning he’s got a healthy majority!

This rubbish from Gaines does show one thing – why no-one takes what’s left of the anti HS2 grassroots campaign seriously anymore. They really are so divorced from reality it’s actually funny! Now we’re in the run-up to an election, expect to hear more nonsense like this as the few remaining antis bluster and try to puff out their chests and flex non-existent political muscle.

I’ve no doubt the election is going to be a fascinating night as I don’t think we’ve had one with these levels of political uncertainty for a very long time, but there’s one thing that isn’t going to be a factor in any of this and that’s HS2. Not in the Chilterns, and certainly not in Bournemouth!

Stop Hs2’s Vicky Pollard moment.

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by in Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Penny Gaines, Politics, StopHs2

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The anti hs2 mob are having a terrible election. Their ‘ no votes for you with Hs2’ has been as much use as a chocolate teapot. None of the major parties (or even a single MP) have been persuaded to change their minds. Yesterday it went from bad to worse as the Labour party released their manifesto containing a clear commitment to build Hs2.

Desperately looking for any crumb of comfort Stop Hs2 Chair Penny Gaines had a hilarious ‘Vicky Pollard’ moment – along with one another anti (who’ve featured here before).

'What,the labour party still support Hs2? Yeah, but no, but yeah but no...'

‘What,the labour party unequivocally support Hs2? Yeah, but no, but yeah but no…’

Here’s the ludicrous press release from Pollard – sorry, Gaines:

http://stophs2.org/news/13431-labours-support-hs2-leaves-get-out-clause

“they claim to support HS2, but their support leaves a large get-out clause in the form of costs” Thunders ‘Vicky’, neatly falling for her own spin.

Why? Because Hs2 costs haven’t actually risen. What has happened is the economic case which contains detailed costs & revisions after some projects have been scrapped hasn’t been re-issued yet. And remember, those costs already contain a huge contingency. Hs2 are designing the line without using that contingency in their calculations. So, when Labour talk about costs, they they know they’re on pretty safe ground.

Poor ‘Vicky’ can’t mention this as it would expose StopHs2’s years of deception on ‘rising’ costs. Instead, she tries & fails to find some political tea-leaves to read & give false hope to the poor people who still fall for Stophs2’s lies & deceit.

Meanwhile, what does Labour leader Ed Miliband think about Hs2? His recent Yorkshire Post interview answers that:

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/labour-will-back-hs2-miliband-1-7194044

“But asked whether Leeds voters who back Labour can expect HS2 to be delivered on the current timetable if the party wins power, Mr Miliband told the YEP: “Yes.”

He continued: “We support HS2, absolutely, we support HS2. We are not backing off it, we are not changing our position on it. We are supporters of HS2 and that’s clear.

“What Ed Balls has said is that we need the east-west link as well and that’s right.”

Mr Miliband’s commitment on the issue means the election campaign has now produced unequivocal backing from both major parties on pushing ahead to connect Leeds to London and to Manchester and Liverpool with high speed rail.”

Now,’Vicky’ Gaines. Which bit of unequivocal’ don’t you understand?

‘Yeah, but no – but yeah, but no…’