Nine-year-old blasts HS2 plans: "Even five-year-olds could do a better job"

A young HS2 campaigner has blasted the project saying "even four to five-year-olds" would do a better job than the high-speed line's promoters.

The nine-year-old son of a leading campaigner against HS2 has not held back in stating his own opposition to the high-speed rail project.

In a petition to the Parliamentary HS2 committee, Alexander Rukin, from the West Midlands, said the promoters were "really, really bad at maths" and "make things up that are untrue".

He questions the number of ancient woodlands that will be lost if the line goes ahead and also disputes claims from the line's promoters that "no one works on trains".

Alexander, from Kenilworth in Warwickshire - who is a pupil at Clinton school, Kenilworth, is the son of Joe Rukin - the campaign manager for the Stop HS2 organisation.

Alexander's petition stated: "Your petitioner does not understand why HS2 Ltd have said phase 1 (London to Birmingham) will only go through 19 ancient woodlands, when the Woodland Trust say this is 27.

"Your petitioner is of the opinion that you drew a line through 27 blobs on a piece of paper, even someone in reception class (four to five year olds) would be able to count them and get it right, or at least get closer to 27 than the people getting paid lots of money at HS2 Ltd have done.

"Your petitioner does not understand why these people have not been sacked, and would be quite willing to help them with their counting as he is really good at maths.

"Your petitioner is extra upset about this because the list of ancient woodlands HS2 Ltd gave to the Woodlands Trust did not include Crackley Woods (near Kenilworth, Warwickshire,) which is his favourite."

Alexander's petition went on: "Your petitioner has been told that the people who worked out that that HS2 would be worth building have said that no-one works on trains to help cheat on their sums.

"Your petitioner knows this is cheating because he has seen lots of people working on computers on trains and your petitioner's parents both say that they work on trains. Your petitioner does not understand why anyone is so stupid as to believe this."

His petition added: "Because the people at HS2 Ltd are really, really bad at maths and make things up that aren't true, your petitioner is worried that HS2 will cost lots more than the people are saying. If HS2 costs more money and not enough people use it, your petitioner, like his classmates, will be the one paying for it in extra tax.

"Your petitioner thinks it is unfair that he and his friends will have to pay more money forever for something they think isn't needed and they won't have enough money to be able to use it."

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