A Cabinet minister has warned that HS2 is a “killer whale” that could “rip the arm” off the next prime minister. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Kit Malthouse, the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office, told the Telegraph that the HS2 project was akin to a “killer whale” and suggested it was one of the projects that could spell trouble for the next incumbent of No 10.
The Government-backed project comes with promises that it will deliver growth to all parts of the country, but its opponents have attacked the massive costs associated with the plan. Mr Malthouse, who a few weeks ago was policing minister but took up the job in Boris Johnson’s forced reshuffle, may only occupy the Cabinet Office role for the summer as the Tory Party chooses between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss for its new leader.
But he warned the newspaper that the Government faces “killer whales”, namely “the big projects that sit out there below the surface, waiting to breach above the waves and rip your arm off”. He contrasted those with “hornets” plaguing the Government – issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, strikes and NHS backlogs.
