Published: 2 February, 2012
by JOHN GULLIVER

The powers-that-be behind the HS2 project The City boys and the big-time developers – cannot wait to get on with it even though it has not yet been approved by Parliament.

While the vacuous transport minister Justine Greening has ­given it the nod, it still needs parliamentary approval, though that may be a routine matter.

Apparently, someone among Greening’s staff has set aside £800million for the pre-planning stage.

Even so I was surprised to see an advert by HS2 this week online for Community Forums Managers, annual salaries from £33,000 to £60,000.

Their job, no doubt, will be to persuade those who will lose their homes to make way for the new fast trains that they shouldn’t worry.

As I think of families on the Regent’s Park estate whose homes will be demolished, I wonder how these smoothies will jolly them along.