Opinion Polls on HS2
There have been a wide range of polls conducted on HS2 by different organisations. Read our latest review here.
No poll shows a majority in favour of HS2 (though 3 are over 40%). Typically they record one third support, with many showing over 75% against HS2. When set against other priorities for transport expenditure, the support for HS2 is even weaker.
See our adverts posted in the New Statesman, 9 Sept 2011 and in the Spectator on 20 July 2011 showing some of these poll results.
1. Professional polls
|
Date |
Question |
|
Result |
Voters |
Comment |
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|
DfT survey |
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|
March 2011 |
Support |
47% |
2037 |
Only 53% aware of HS2 (most of whom knew little or not much) |
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Ipsos Mori Survey (for RAC foundation) on range of transport spending plans |
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|
March 2010 |
Areas of public spending on transport that should be protected from possible cuts |
Planning and building a new high speed line |
8% |
1025 |
HSR scored lowest. See Annex A |
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|
|
Areas of transport that should be highest priority for Government to deal with |
Planning and building a new high speed line |
3% |
1025 |
HSR scored lowest. See Annex A |
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|
March 2011 |
What areas of transport should be highest priority for Government to deal with |
Planning and building a new high speed line |
4% |
|
One year later, HSR still scored lowest. See Annex A |
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YouGov Survey (for Taxpayer’s Alliance) on a range of spending cuts |
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|
21 June 2011 |
Cancelling plans to fund a new high speed rail |
Support |
48% |
2732 |
Only one third support HS2. Less support in North than the South (see Annex A) |
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 |
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|
8 Aug 2011 |
Important factors for using HS2 high speed rail |
Speed Ticket Price Station Proximity |
3% 62% 18% |
16,850 members | Just 3% thought faster journeys matter | ||
| Sept | Would you switch to HS2 if it was available for a journey that you used the car for |
Yes No Don't know |
33% 34% 33% |
Only one third would use it (and less in Birmingham) | |||
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YouGovStone email survey (for Campaign for HSR) on business support for HS2 |
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| Sept 2011 |
[HS2 scheme description.] Overall is your business in favour, against, undecided |
In favour Against Undecided Not for or against |
47% 14% 7% 32% |
552 busines ses (>5 staff) |
47% in favour. But also reported as 77% in favour (if ignored all but those for or against) | ||
2. Newspapers/magazines (2011 polls)
|
BirminghamPost (on line) |
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| Date | Question | Result | Voters | Comment | ||
|
14 April |
Are you in favour of Government’s proposed high speed rail line (on line) |
Yes |
31.9% |
617 |
Two thirds against |
|
|
|
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|
17 May |
Are you in favour of Government’s proposed high speed rail line? |
Yes |
25% |
6017 |
Over 70% against |
|
|
(on line) See details at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8585304/High-speed-rail-campaign-mocks-rich-opponents-of-scheme.html |
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|
20 June |
Should high speed rail go ahead? |
Yes |
8.9% |
6669 |
Over 90% against |
|
|
(on line) See details at: http://www.51m.co.uk/news/evening-standard-poll-78-say-hs2-should-be-scrapped |
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|
5 July |
Should high speed 2 rail project be scrapped? |
Yes |
78% |
|
Over 75% against |
|
|
Hillingdon Council (through Hillingdon People magazine)(freepost cards) |
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|
6 July |
Should HS2 go ahead in its current form? |
No |
>90% |
Over 10,000 |
Over 90% against |
|
|
Guardian, The Northerner Blog (on line) See details at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/poll/2011/jul/14/poll-will-a-high-speed-rail-link-be-good-for-yorkshire |
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|
14 July |
Do you think the Governments high speed rail link will be good for Yorkshire? |
Yes |
15.4% |
|
Over 75% don’t believe it’s good for Yorkshire |
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3. Specialist organisations (2011 polls)
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(on line poll) See details at: http://www.countryfile.com/poll/do-you-think-high-speed-2-should-be-built |
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February Ongoing |
Do you think high speed rail should be built? |
Yes |
9% |
3330 |
Over 90% against |
|
(weekly on line poll) |
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|
18 March |
Should the UK build high speed rail? |
Yes |
38% |
|
Nearly two thirds against |
|
6 May |
Has the Government done enough to consult the public? |
Yes |
35% |
|
Two thirds think not consulted enough |
|
Labour Party Transport Policy review (weekly on line poll) |
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|
April |
Should HS2 be a priority? |
Support |
7% |
|
Over 90% against |
|
ConservativeHome Survey (of party members including MPs/MEPs) on top 23 coalition policies |
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2 July 2011 |
How do you rate High Speed Rail Policy? |
Impressive Disappointed Rating: |
29.8% 45.6% -15.8% |
1500+ |
Rating 19th out of 23 coalition policies |
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ConservativeHome Survey (of party members including MPs/MEPs) on range of Tory issues |
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25/26 August 2011 |
Do you back the policy of building High Speed Rail 2 link? |
Support Against |
43% 56% |
1348 | Majority against |
Annex A
1. Ipsos MORI poll for RAC Foundation (March 2010 and 2011)
Which one or two, if any, of the following areas of public spending on roads and public
transport do you think should be protected from possible cuts should cuts be necessary?
|
Transport issues |
March 2010 |
|
Spending on road and pavement maintenance |
70% |
|
Spending to reduce traffic congestion on roads e.g. improving junctions and traffic signalling |
38% |
|
Spending to improve bus services |
27% |
|
Spending to improve existing train services |
22% |
|
Spending to plan and build a new high speed rail line connecting London and Birmingham and eventually Scotland |
8% |
|
Don’t know |
5% |
|
None of these |
1% |
Which two or three do you think should be the highest priority for the Government to deal with after the forthcoming general election (March 2010 survey); to be addressing (March 2011 survey)?
|
Transport issues |
March 2010 |
March 2011 |
|
The condition of roads and pavements |
58% |
44% |
|
The cost of using a car (e.g. petrol prices) |
46% |
68% |
|
The cost of travelling by train |
25 % |
32% |
|
The level of congestion on local roads and in towns |
24% |
24% |
|
Safety for car drivers and other road users |
22% |
22% |
|
Delays caused by roadworks |
19% |
21% |
|
The damage to the environment caused by transport of all types |
18% |
15% |
|
The frequency of local buses |
17% |
17% |
|
Overcrowding on existing train services |
12% |
13% |
|
Planning and building a new high speed rail line connecting London and Birmingham and eventually Scotland |
3% |
4% |
|
Don’t know |
2% |
nk |
|
Other and None of these |
< 0.5 or <1% |
nk |
2. YouGov poll for Taxpayer’s Alliance
Would you support or cancelling plans to fund a new high speed rail line between London and Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester
|
Regional breakdown (of responses supporting cancelling HSR plans) |
June 2011 |
|
Scotland |
59% |
|
Midlands and Wales |
56% |
|
South |
49% |
|
North |
43% |
|
London |
37% |
|
Overall average |
48% |