HS2 executives have come under fire after spending over £4,000 on a luxury hotel stay and dinners, funded by taxpayers. Documents obtained by the Sunday Express reveal that 11 members of the HS2 'executive team' enjoyed a 'classic 24-hour package' costing £2,189, which included meeting room hire, pastries, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and use of the hotel's health club. A second similar package for the group cost an additional £1,969.
The spending also included £250 for the hire of the exclusive Cedar Lawn area. The meeting, described as a 'strategic leadership and management planning session,' was held over three days at Fawsley Hall in Northamptonshire. According to a Freedom of Information response, no minutes were taken during the meeting.
John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, condemned the expenditure, calling it 'another sickening example of waste from HS2.' He stated: 'Lording it up in a country hotel with four-poster beds and tuna tartare on the menu wouldn't make the cut in most of the private sector. So for this taxpayer-funded white elephant to lavish our cash on this is unforgivable.'
A spokesperson for HS2 defended the spending, highlighting the project's benefits: 'HS2 will generate around £92 billion in benefits to the UK economy, and support the creation of 500,000 jobs and nearly 90,000 new homes. Our leadership team runs planning activities that reflect the complexity of the project. We're determined to deliver value for money for the UK taxpayer, and in booking all events and facilities, we always follow HM Treasury guidance for managing public money.'
The rail project, which could cost over £100 billion, has faced repeated scrutiny over its budget. Despite this, more than 20 business leaders have written an open letter urging the new prime minister to commit to HS2.
