A recap of the weekend’s news, for those who’ve been doing something more enjoyable than following politics, like smacking themselves repeatedly round the chops with a spanner. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has decided that the route to electoral success lies in “tough choices”, and is even now searching for a campaign anthem along the lines of “things can only get worse”. Having already abandoned the government’s own environmental promises, he’s talking about further cuts to the HS2 rail project, whose eastern arm to Nottingham and Leeds he already amputated as chancellor.
HS2 will still run between London and Birmingham, for the very good reason they’ve already built that bit. But both the section north to Crewe (which would allow high-speed trains to Manchester), and the one that takes passengers the last five miles into central London, could be delayed into later Treasury budget rounds, or even face the axe. Sunak may announce the new, revised plan at the Tory party conference in Manchester next week. Very brave, prime minister.
