英國斥資170億英鎊修高鐵
David Cameron has been warned by his chief fundraiser that he faces a backlash from grassroots Tories and donors over the Coalition's proposed high speed rail link。
Lord Feldman, the Tory co-chairman, last week held a series of tense meetings with Conservative associations in areas which the planned link will pass through, after warnings that some were on the verge of mutiny。
At one meeting with Buckingham Conservative Association, there was "fury" from veteran Tory members who said their views on the £17billion HS2 line had been ignored, one member present claimed。
Chesham & Amersham constituency association has told Conservative headquarters it will be ending its commitment to contribute £10,000 a year to central funds while Buckinghamshire Tory associations have indicated they might do the same。
One member present at the Buckingham meeting said: "The message was loud and clear. We are deeply disillusioned. We put in all the hard work putting leaflets through doors and then Cameron rides roughshod over us. We are not Nimbys. We object to this on cost grounds. It is a complete waste of money。
"Lord Feldman told us he would take a very clear message back to Mr Cameron that we are not happy."
Grassroots Tory members in areas affected by the plan say the proposed link between London and Birmingham has dented already low morale in a number of Conservative strongholds which will be bisected by the line。
While some have threatened to withhold funds if the line goes ahead, others are saying they will adopt a go-slow attitude。
At the time of the next election, hundreds of normally loyal activists could refuse to help the party campaign if the line is going ahead, activists have warned。
The proposed railway slices through sixteen Conservative constituencies – four of which are cabinet ministers' seats and six more junior ministers'。
Up to 18 trains an hour will travel at 250mph through the English countryside, cutting through the Tory heartlands of the Chilterns, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire。英國首相大衞•卡梅倫的主要籌款人警告他説，他將因為聯合政府提出的高鐵項目而遭到來自基層保守黨成員以及捐資者的強烈反對。
保守黨聯合主席費得曼勛爵上週與保守黨聯合會召開了一系列緊急會議，這些聯合會來自計劃中的高鐵線路將通過的區域。此前，保守黨接到警告稱，有些區域的反抗一觸即發。
一名與會成員稱，在與白金漢宮保守黨聯合會的會議上，保守黨的資深黨員非常憤怒，他們表示針對這個耗資170億英鎊的HS2高鐵項目所提出的意見被忽視了。
切舍姆-阿默舍姆選民聯合會告知保守黨總部，該聯合會將終止其每年為中央基金提供一萬英鎊的承諾，而白金漢郡保守黨聯合會暗示，他們可能也會這麼做。
在與白金漢宮保守黨聯合會的會議上，一位與會成員稱，“我們要傳達的信息一清二楚。我們徹底的醒悟了。我們努力地為保守黨助選，而卡梅倫卻這樣欺凌我們。我們並沒有鄰避情結，我們是出於開銷的原因而反對該項目。這是徹底的浪費。”
“費得曼勛爵告訴我們，他將明確告知卡梅倫先生，我們非常不滿。”
來自受該高鐵計劃影響區域的基層保守黨成員説，這一計劃連接倫敦和伯明翰的高鐵項目削弱了許多保守黨大本營已低迷的士氣，這些區域將被高鐵線路分割開來。
一些選區威脅説，如果高鐵項目繼續，他們將停止資金援助，另一些則説他們將消極怠工。
活動人士警告説，如果高鐵項目繼續下去，下一次選舉時，成百上千名原本忠心的積極分子將拒絕幫助保守黨競選。
聯合政府提出的高鐵項目將穿過十六個保守黨選區，其中四個選區席位由內閣大臣佔據，還有六個由次官佔據。
該項目計劃每小時最多通行18列火車，列車將以每小時250英里的速度行經英國鄉間，穿過奇爾特恩斯、白金漢郡和沃裏克郡等保守黨最重要的區域。
