Note Venue - Civil Service Club, 13/15 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HJ

Councillor Tom Simon and Councillor Jonny Bucknell of the London Borough of Camden

The government seems intent on forging ahead with the proposed ‘HS2’ link from London to Birmingham and beyond, insisting it will boost the economy and is needed to meet passenger demand. However, the ranks of those opposing the plan are swelling and they have a series of strong arguments as to why it simply does not make sense. This talk will seek to explain two broad themes:

• First, why the economic argument does not add up
• Second, why the negative impacts of the project - on the environment and on communities - are such that it is not worth it.

There will also be scope for discussion of differing degrees of opposition, i.e. could this proposal be modified to make it more attractive, could a different proposal for a high-speed rail network avoid the pitfalls of HS2 or is it the case that we should oppose high-speed rail in the UK absolutely.

Tom Simon has been a Camden Councillor for the ward of Belsize since winning a by-election there in April 2009. He is currently the Shadow Cabinet Member for Schools and sits on the Licensing Committee and the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee. The major issues on which he has been active since his election are the shortage of primary school places in Belsize, the threat of closure of the local library, the shortage of housing in Camden and HS2. He is also a founding member of Transition Belsize and has been an organiser of the annual Belsize Green Fair since it started in 2008. Tom has a background in history, law and education. Outside of his Council role, he is a director of The Boxing Academy, a charity that provides an alternative education for young people at risk of exclusion, and a governor at Fleet Primary School.

CSNet members free, CMI members £10, Non-members £15

For booking or enquiries, please use the contact form.

Note Venue - Civil Service Club, 13/15 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HJ

Gary Moore, Director of Partners at Colt Technology Services

With the migration to IT Services being experienced by all network companies, Colt is very focussed on ensuring that its channels adapt to the new world of cloud services.

Gary Moore is responsible for managing Colt’s indirect route to market for its products and services across Europe. He has a background in fixed and mobile carriers, with particular expertise in financial services sector and indirect channels. Having started with BT plc in software development, he has worked previously for Singer & Friedlander, O2 before his current position at Colt Technology. Away from his core sales & marketing professional focus, Gary is a chartered engineer, a Liveryman of the Information Technologist’s Livery Company and a private pilot.

CSNet members free, CMI members £10, Non-members £15

For booking or enquiries, please use the contact form.