MP Matt Western has called on new investment to boost the rapidly expanding Leamington ‘Silicon Spa’ gaming cluster.

The Labour MP has staged a debate in Parliament to reinforce the industry’s importance to the economy and the town’s history.

The cluster includes over 32 studios employing some 1,500 people – including a wider base of contractors.

It contributes more than £100million to the regional economy every year and, when viewed per capita, it is the largest gaming cluster in the UK – equating to more than 10% of the industry.

The Warwick and Leamington MP staged the debate in Westminster to boost the profile of companies in his constituency – and take forward their concerns.

Mr Western, who was yesterday appointed shadow universities minister, said: “In the last few decades, following inward investment and pioneering innovation, from the Silicon Spring in the 80s has gushed today’s ‘Silicon Spa.’

“Though the gaming sector has been one of the few to continue growing as the rest of our economy grinds to a half, it still requires support to stimulate growth even further.

“The government should consider increasing the rate of Video Games Corporation Tax Relief but also look to expand the UK Games Development Fund.

“I am also hoping to aid the development of the sector’s next bright stars through regional education in engineering and coding – and partnerships with universities.

“The gaming industry has thrust Leamington onto a global stage and must be protected at all costs.”

Leamington and surrounding areas are home to household names in the video games industry such as Codemasters, Ubisoft and SEGA HARDlight.
Classic games such as Far Cry, Little Big Planet and Forza were all conceived and developed in the town.

Last year the cluster gained worldwide attention after Electronic Arts’ (EA) acquisition of Codemasters for £1.2billion.

The chief executive of gaming firm Kwalee, David Darling, is one of the pioneers of the Leamington industry.

He and his brother founded Codemasters in 1986.

Mr Darling said: “Having been involved in the Leamington games industry from the very beginning, it’s amazing to see how much Silicon Spa has grown from the 1980s to now.

“What we would really love to see now is initiatives to improve the reputation of Leamington Spa as a gaming hub across the country, and even globally, to compete with the likes of San Francisco and Bangalore.

“In places like Quebec, where the government awards significant funding up to $1.5million per gaming project, we’ve seen the amazing things that can be created as a result.”

A Warwick firm has hit out at the Government for its PPE ‘contract betrayal’ – while a local MP has called for answers.

MP Matt Western repeated his calls from last April and raised the plight of automotive company Contechs in Parliament last week.

Warwick-based Contechs launched a medical division last November to begin producing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

It was responding to a regional ‘call to arms’ by West Midlands mayor Andy Street in April.

But after spending hundreds of thousands of pounds producing PPE, the firm found no domestic avenues for its sale – because the Government instead imported cheap equipment from overseas, mainly Turkey and China.

Leamington firm Tecman Advanced Healthcare Products also set up a manufacturing hub for PPE in May amid national stock shortages.

Bosses said they were ‘disappointed’ after being overlooked for an NHS PPE contract – but have since expanded and successfully marketed abroad.

Mr Western has called on Contechs and other regional firms that lost out after being overlooked for PPE contracts to be reimbursed by the Government.

He also called for the two firms in his constituency to be prioritised for any future NHS contracts.
Mr Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, said: “The Government’s appeal came after a decade of cuts to public services in which PPE stocks were decimated.

“In the midst of the crisis, the Department for Health signed off contracts with Conservative Party donors, companies with no prior experience and chums of the Secretary of State – with the equipment purchased sometimes unusable.

“Contechs in my constituency has taken a big hit to their revenues as a result of this betrayal.”

Contechs has warned it may need to make nearly 80 staff redundant when Government financial support ends – while they have suffered significant losses.

Tecman is much more optimistic with the promise of an NHS contract for its sustainable PPE still in the pipeline – though it appealed for Mr Western’s support to secure the deal.

Contechs Managing Director Peter Jarvis said: “We answered the call to arms with all good intentions.
“Now we just want to see a coherent long-term strategy which involves the companies that responded. At the moment it is total uncertainty for many.

“We should be allowed to continue in a sustainable fashion and not be left in a situation with indebtedness and unrecovered capital expenditure.”

Tecman Managing Director Kevin Porter added: “The Government has gone to immense effort to try and procure enough PPE for the NHS during an unprecedented pandemic.

“However, as the immediate crisis abates, we would like to see future procurement decisions weighted towards UK manufacturers and products that provide ecological benefits, in addition to being equitable, fair and competitive on price.”

The budget outlined by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week offers nothing for our NHS heroes, nothing to fix social care, nothing for our schools and nothing to tackle inequality.

And the evidence is damning. Today the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) confirmed the UK has suffered the worst economic damage of any major economy – a contraction in GDP relative to pre-pandemic forecasts of -4.8%. This is double Germany’s damage (-2.5%), nearly triple Japan’s (1.3%) and more than 20 times the size of the US’ (-0.2%). The Chancellor got it wrong. Big time.

But, judging from the Chancellor’s budget, it seems certain it will be you and I – the public – that pays for the Government’s catastrophic mistakes. In Warwick and Leamington, council tax will rise an estimated £94 after the Government’s latest hike and around 4,000 public sector workers will see their pay frozen. The cliff face thousands of people are met with has only been delayed by the begrudging extension of the eviction ban and the Universal Credit £20 uplift, and no long-term solution.

While it is welcome the furlough support scheme has been extended and new grants and loans have been offered, businesses need greater certainty. We need long-term reform of business rates which unnecessarily penalises our struggling small businesses. We also need support for the hospitality industry with the VAT reduction not applying to alcoholic drinks – and a much-needed cut to beer duty also avoided.

The Chancellor failed to mention inequality once during his budget speech, and his contempt for the deep structural problems in our society showed. We needed him to announce a mass council homes building programme to finally solve the housing crisis. We need investment in our manufacturing sector, including support for Coventry’s electric vehicle battery Gigafactory. The budget’s proposals were unambitious on the climate. We need an expansion of hydrogen in our towns and cities, roll out of electric vehicle infrastructure and charging points and money to equip our towns with clean air zones, as outlined in Labour’s Green New Deal.

The real terms cut to nurses’ wages is a disgrace. The increase of a mere £3.50, costing the treasury just £500million, is equivalent to the amount the Chancellor blew on the infamous Eat Out to Help Out Scheme – which was estimated to have contributed to 1/6 of new virus cases in the summer. The figure pales in comparison to the £22billion wasted on a dysfunctional test and trace system or the £300million thrown away on, in many cases, unusable foreign-produced PPE. Nurses and other NHS staff must see a significant wage increase – as must other key workers.

Finally, I am honoured to have been asked to be Labour’s Shadow Universities Minister after my brilliant colleague Emma Hardy decided to step down. There’s much to be done and I’m looking forward to tackling the new brief and working with students, staff and our world leading universities. However, representing Warwick and Leamington remains my primary focus. For my constituents, be assured, my priority always has been and will remain representing you and your interests – whatever they may be.

Matt Western’s first inaugural MP Community Awards event is set to go ahead tonight (February 18) at 8pm.

You can watch the ceremony from the the video above or you can click here to view on Facebook and here to watch on YouTube.

People can tune into the live streamed event from 7.45pm, though proceedings will begin at 8pm.

Please Tweet about the event using the hashtag #MattWesternAwards.

The Warwick and Leamington MP says the event aims to pay tribute to hardworking and often unsung workers, community groups, businesses, and volunteers.

Mr Western has received the support of model Edie Campbell who grew up near the constituency – and who has appeared twice on the cover of British Vogue magazine.

Ms Campbell will be speaking at the event which is set to be hosted by BBC Coventry and Warwickshire’s Phil Upton.

Other notable community and business figures are expected to attend.

Mr Western says the event aims to give special recognition to those who have been integral in the community’s fight against COVID-19 – and those who have shown extraordinary generosity to help others over the last year.

Mr Western says: “I am thrilled to have received so many interesting nominations from the community including, among others, carers, teachers, NHS workers and postmen.

“We have confirmed all our guests and judges while everyone who has been nominated will be recognised in some way for their contribution to Warwick and Leamington in the last year.

“There has never been a more important time to pay tribute to those who have served our community during arguably the greatest public health crisis the nation has ever seen.

“I want this to be an event the nominees will never forget. A hopeful light amid the darkness.”

The event will be held online and is being organised and developed by local web designers and production company Noisegate Media.

Mota was born in early January or February 1939 (exact date unrecorded but he always said ‘during the sugar cane season’) in Rajasthan in northern India.

Of his life as a youth, Mota wrote: “By now, simple living of Mahatma Gandhi had already convinced me greatly and I started to critically look at the lavish style of the rich, miseries of the poor, injustice, social divisions and corruption in the system.”

He arrived in the UK on 11^th May 1963 and after a few weeks living with friends in Slough he moved to Leamington. His first job was at Leamington Plating Company but this ended abruptly when he sought to unionise the workforce. However, shortly afterwards, through support from the Transport and General Workers Union, he started work at the Ford Foundry.

Mota described his time at the foundry in ‘England, our England,’ a recently published book of reminiscences of those who came from the commonwealth to live and work in the UK. He wrote: “I did work in the foundry but I tell you they were the worst days of my life. We were given a job on the grinding machines and it was not a small thing; it took two people to lift it. It was very hard work. I didn’t remove my turban. It was nothing to do with religion, but I was determined not to.”

From the start, Mota supported arrivals from India with advice and translation, interceding with local and national bodies. He lived in shared accommodation with other migrants in Wise Terrace, Leamington. Very soon, he was establishing himself within the community.

He was one of the founding members of Leamington’s Gurdwara helping to raise the money to buy the former St Mary’s Sunday School on New Street for this purpose.

He married Surinder Kaur in 1968 and on returning from India spent another 10 years at the foundry until a bad spell of bronchitis hospitalised him and prevented him going back to that line of work.

In 1974, he began work as a postman and van driver which he continued to do until his retirement in 2002 (28 years of service). He was active in the Union of Communication Workers (as Chair of the Warwick and Leamington Amalgamated Branch) and in its successor the Communication Workers Union. He supported his colleagues and was involved at regional and national level. Latterly he served the villages to the north and east of Leamington where he was well loved by the communities and also on excellent terms with Sir Dudley Smith, the Conservative MP at the time, and his wife in Weston-under-Wetherley. He always held strong views but looked also to build bridges.

He and Surinder lived first in Plymouth Place and then moved to St Bride’s Close with their three sons (Jasjit, Gurpreet and Jaskarn) in 1980. Surinder sadly passed away in January 2003. After Surinder’s passing, Mota busied himself in raising awareness about diabetes amongst the local South Asian communities. At this time, he also became a Non-Executive Director at Warwick Hospital Trust (2004-2008).

Mota was elected to Warwickshire County Council for the Leamington Brunswick Division in May 1985 and he continued to serve in this role until June 2009 (24 years). He was the first British Asian County Councillor in Warwickshire, the first as Chair of the Council (2000), and quite possibly the first nationally to chair a Police Committee (1994) and its successor Warwickshire Police Authority (1998).

In 2002, he was elected to Royal Leamington Spa Town Council when it was first established representing Willes ward (until 2015) and then from 2015-2019 for Leamington Sydenham ward – totalling 41 years across the two authorities. He served as Mayor of Leamington in 2004 with his daughter-in-law Sangita supporting him as Consort.

As a councillor, he took on a huge caseload – not just matters that the councils were responsible for but supporting and representing people across Warwickshire with immigration and nationality issues. People from all communities in Brunswick and Willes knew Mota and valued him as their representative. Canvassing with him in these areas brought hugs and handshakes from many people – black and white. He was also passionate about youth provision and sought to make sure the voices of young people were heard. He also actively supported people fleeing domestic violence.

He served on the Race Equality Council from 1968-1978 bringing communities together to address the issues facing established and new residents in the area. The Community Relations Council was set up in 1971 and Mota was a founder member.

Mota was active in anti-racist campaigning all his life. He attributed his passionate opposition to racism and injustice to his father. In 1976 Robert Relf advertised his house (in Cowdray Close) for sale to an English family only – in clear breach of the Race Relations Act. Demonstrations in support of him and counter demonstrations locally and the number of votes that the British Movement received at a by-election in Leamington Aylesford ward (part of modern day Brunswick) in 1977 led to the Leamington Anti-Racist and Anti-Fascist Committee (LARAFC) being set up 1977. As Chair of the local Indian Worker’s Association, Mota was a leading member.

He was an active participant in the local Anti-Apartheid group and with the charity One World Link, visiting Leamington’s twin town of Bo in Sierra Leone in 2004. He was also a strong supporter of Bath Place Community Venture. He served on many local and national bodies, was an active school governor (at Kingsway, Shrubland Street, Campion and Whitnash Nursery Schools) and played a fundamental role in getting the SYDNI Community Centre in Sydenham established.

He was a respected and published poet having written his first poem in 1955. His home was and he often hosted visits for other acclaimed poets.

Writing of his anthology ‘Bikhre Moti’ published in 2008, Mota wrote: “My poems in this book reflect some sweet memories of loved ones, love for mankind, praise for those who sacrificed their lives for good cause, those who stood and stand against injustice, evil practices in the society, reject blind faith, shower sentiments, emotions, feelings, optimism and dreams of world peace.”

He was also a regular contributor of articles on social and political issues to the Punjabi newspaper Des Pardes, a nationally and internationally known representative of the Sikh Community and a passionate gardener. Even in ill-health, he enjoyed spending many hours on his allotment off Radford Road.

Tragically, his middle son Gurpreet (known as Gilly) died suddenly in 2007 at the age of 36. Gilly had developed his radicalism from his parents working for Newham Monitoring Project, supporting the Stephen Lawrence Campaign and working for Inquest, investigating deaths in custody. With Gilly’s widow, friends and family, Mota was spurred on to redoubling the efforts to raise the funds to build and equip a school in the village of Lehrian in Haryana state. The Buwan Kothi International Trust raised the money and continues to pay the operational costs for the Gilly Mundy Memorial School, which has expanded to cover early years, primary and secondary education.

In an article written in 2014, Mota described his Sikh faith: “My faith is firstly that I am a human being. No matter what colour, what outlook, what religion, a person is a human being first. Everyone gets their heritage from their parents who give them birth and their religion. Then we grow through our local culture and our education system. In my belief ‘humanity’ is the best religion because it covers the basics of all religions.

“I have lived in Leamington Spa for the last 51 years, as a family person, a working person, a religious person, a social person and a political person. But I never forget the teaching of my parents, or my religious Gurus, and have always sought to lead an honest and honourable life. Even the most painful incidents have not succeeded in taking my smile away, but I cannot keep quiet if I see injustice happening to anyone anywhere.”

In latter years, Mota drew much support and companionship from his partner, Janet Alty.

Matt Western MP said: “He was possibly the purest, most decent and gentle person that I have ever met. He was selfless but determined and his work demonstrated his great generosity of spirit and sense of public service as well as a profound sense of what was right.

“A man of great humanity, his passing is very hard for many of us to come to terms with. But let us remember his enormous contribution to our community as well as his extraordinary 40 years as a Labour Councillor. It is a simplistic measure of his service but that has few, if any, equals.”

Mota’s funeral takes place at Oakley Wood on Saturday 20^th February. Obviously, during lockdown, the number attending is limited to 30 people. Clearly, for someone with Mota’s service to the community, a funeral for 30 people is woefully insufficient. His family, and the Labour Party will look to organise commemorations once it is safe to do so.

MP Matt Western has praised Warwick vaccination centre staff as they aim to reach a 700-jab per day milestone.

The Labour MP visited the clinic at The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club in Leek Wootton on Saturday (February 6).

He met with Kenilworth and South Warwickshire Primary Care Network (PCN) chiefs who assured him regional vaccination targets are on track to be met.

He thanked staff amid the news the Coventry and Warwickshire region ranks fourth in the UK for the most first doses given to those aged over 70.

Warwick and Leamington MP Mr Western said: “It is a testament to the spirit in the local community that so many have applied to volunteer and help with the vaccine roll-out – helping save people’s lives in the process.

“I was extremely encouraged to meet such a well-organised and cohesive team with satisfied and relieved residents praising their experience at the centre.

“It is great to hear everyone over the age of 70 in Warwick has now been offered a vaccine.

“This is huge progress. But there is still much work to do.”

The clubhouse at The Warwickshire is being used as Warwick and Kenilworth’s primary vaccination site – with a drive-thru available in the car park.

There is a larger centre at Stoneleigh Park which caters to local patients and those from the wider region.

Chiefs say the centre has now offered a vaccine to every resident aged over 70 in the area, and they will hit their next target of 600 jabs per day over this week.

They are aiming to ramp up to full capacity of more than 700 jabs a day if national vaccine supplies improve.

The site has administered more than 10,000 doses in total.

Over the coming weeks, staff are aiming to move to an 8am till 8pm working day – 7 days per week.

The centre has recruited more than 75 volunteers while staff from the Primary Care Network’s five GP surgeries are managing the site.

The centre offers home visits to those who are particularly vulnerable or who lack mobility – with up to 60 visits taking place every day.

Chiefs say all housebound patients will have been vaccinated in the next five days.

All residents at the care homes in the area have been vaccinated – aside from those at a few homes which have had virus outbreaks on their premises.

Mike Phillips who spoke to Mr Western after his jab said: “It’s really nice to get it done.

“I wasn’t too anxious before but I’m very impressed with the way it’s been organised.

“This is the first tick in the box.”

This week in Parliament I raised the plight of Leamington performing arts company Motionhouse along with other groups and artists faced with rising costs and restrictions caused by Brexit. The damage of Brexit is already clear to see for many other business sectors for which Europe is their primary market. But the failure to secure EU touring visas for our performing artists and arts companies is a particularly glaring failure.

A petition has been launched demanding the Government urgently returns to the negotiating table with the EU to secure Europe-wide visa-free work permits to prevent touring artists being hit with a vast increase in costs as they market themselves on the continent. The petition now has nearly 300,000 signatures and includes more than 500 from residents in Warwick and Leamington.

The UK’s creative sector accounts for a staggering 11.7% of GDP and we need immediate action to save many under-threat companies that depend on the revenue generated from unfettered access to EU audiences. For example, Motionhouse secures more than half its revenue from touring in the EU. The company itself is not just a great export, it enriches our region and is a retreat for many local creatives. Yet it fears increasingly severe problems associated with work permit costs, movements of kit and foreign entertainment taxation. Along with the UK’s world-renowned performing arts sector, Motionhouse cannot be left to suffer as a result of yet more Government incompetence.

Elsewhere, it is clear our veterans have been failed by successive governments. The Armed Forces Covenant, while welcome, needs to go much further in addressing substandard housing, serious mental health problems and underfunded social care. These are problems experienced by a vast proportion of the UK’s population but perhaps by none more acutely than our veterans.

The National Audit Office just last week released a report concluding that thousands of armed forces personnel are living in substandard accommodation – with 80,000 veterans occupying poor quality single living flats. To reinforce this, up to 6% of the UK’s homeless population are former soldiers according to the Royal British Legion. King’s College London research shows that veterans are at greater risk of suffering serious mental health problems such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and alcohol misuse. Yet 0.07% of the NHS budget is spent on mental health support specifically for veterans.

The Government needs to serve those that serve us. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen will have served our country courageously during their time in the forces and it’s now time they are better supported in society.

MP Matt Western has hailed health professionals in Warwick and Leamington who last week hit a milestone of 1,000 vaccines in a day.

The Labour MP visited the Leamington Rehabilitation Hospital in Heathcote Lane, Whitnash, on Sunday (January 24) to see how the vaccine roll out was progressing.

He met north and south Leamington Primary Care Network (PCN) chiefs who assured him that regional vaccination targets are on track to be met.

The rehabilitation hospital along with Lisle Court Medical Centre in Brunswick Street are being used as the area’s primary vaccination sites.

Staff are now delivering vaccines from 8am till 8pm, seven days a week – occasionally working later.

They are also visiting those who cannot get to hospital to vaccinate them in their homes.

The centres have delivered jabs to residents at all care homes across Leamington – bar one.

In total, the PCNs are vaccinating between 800 and 1,000 people per day depending on supplies – with the potential for more.

Staff reiterated that residents should wait to be contacted by their local centre – and are asking people not to call their GPs or show up without an appointment.

Warwick and Leamington MP Mr Western said: “Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing for myself the wonderful work our local NHS is doing to vaccinate residents against COVID-19.

“I wanted to thank the tireless and dedicated staff members and volunteers who are at the vanguard of our region’s efforts to beat the virus.

“Not only was it humbling to see so many working so hard for our region’s most vulnerable residents, it was also extremely moving to see the happiness on people’s faces after receiving the vaccination.

“The atmosphere in the waiting room and the camaraderie among the staff and volunteers was truly uplifting – so much happiness and relief.

“Some residents hadn’t left their homes in months and were desperate for some assurance after what has been an immensely challenging period for so many. Other residents dressed in their best clothes to celebrate receiving the life-saving jab.”

Local centres have also issued an appeal for volunteers who can help ramp up vaccination efforts across the area.

Mr Western spoke to 17-year-old volunteer Annie-Rose Figgitt who said: “I just want to be able to tell people that I played my part helping out with Covid.”

Mr Western says accelerating the roll out is now crucial to ease pressure on Warwick Hospital – which is working regularly at full capacity with virus patients.

Clinical Director for South Leamington PCN Dr Sukhi Dhesi told Mr Western: “We are working through certain cohorts and we will get to everybody.

“I don’t want people to be worried that we’ve forgotten them.

“Wait until you have received some correspondence from us.

“Everybody will be vaccinated but it’s about waiting for your turn.”

Dr Ollie Lawton added: “Just to reiterate, although people have had the vaccine, it doesn’t mean you can be any less strict with your social distancing and infection control measures.

“Having the jab cannot result in us getting complacent, otherwise we will be in this mess a lot longer.”

MP Matt Western has urged the Government to issue emergency grants for under-threat National League football clubs – including Leamington FC.

The club’s chairman Jim Scott contacted the Warwick and Leamington MP saying some teams and the league season are in ‘jeopardy’ after the government withdrew vital support.

At the beginning of the pandemic, ministers offered all National League clubs grants from a £10million fund to ensure the season could go ahead in the absence of fans.

But this month the Government has withdrawn grants and offered loans instead.

Many of the league’s 66 clubs claim the withdrawal reneges on the agreement between the parties at the beginning of the season.

Cash-strapped clubs – including Leamington Football Club – had assumed the costs associated with continuing competitive football in the absence of fans would be covered, including as the nation enters a third lockdown.

The Labour MP said: “The perilous situation of the UK’s National League football clubs, and their season, will be a cause for major concern for lovers of the sport and fans across the country.

“It would be unconscionable to allow some of our nation’s most treasured and historic clubs to fall into ruin as a result of this pandemic.

“It seems wholly unjust to force substantial loans on some of the country’s smallest community clubs even when fans, their major source of revenue, cannot return to grounds.

“I hope the league season will be able to continue and clubs won’t have to pay the price of the government’s disastrous response to the pandemic.”

Clubs say loans would mean serious financial insecurity and taking on debt – an arrangement they would not have agreed to at the beginning of the season.

Mr Western has vowed to do all he can to lobby the government into offering further grants and has written to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.

The decision to offer loans by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will force many clubs into opting to end the current league season ahead of an emergency league board meeting today.

Mr Scott believes most clubs are now operating on full pre-pandemic costs with players and staff wages to be paid with only negligible incoming commercial revenue.

Mr Scott said: “For our club, loans are not a viable option.

“We are in a slightly better situation than others. Some won’t make the end of the month and are struggling considerably.

“But over the next few months, we will also be in serious difficulty without grant funding.

“I want to thank Mr Western for offering his support.”

Leamington has about 30 teams of different age groups – and needs to pay its contracted players.

Ahead of the decisive board meeting tomorrow (January 22), National League clubs (in the fifth, sixth and seventh tiers of English football) have been given three options.

Teams could receive individual loans, share a centralised loan paid to the league, or end the season and use the furlough scheme.

Clubs claim furlough payments in the event of the season ending would total more than the grants they ask for to keep it going.

MP Matt Western has accused the Government of allowing HS2 Ltd to ‘mark its own homework’ over environmental damage.

The Warwick and Leamington MP demanded regular external reviewing into the toll on ancient woodlands and wildlife caused by the high-speed rail line’s construction.

After this week’s House of Commons vote, an annual report on environmental outcomes will be produced by HS2 Ltd.

Mr Western has instead called for more regular external assessments to be conducted.

He suggested non-governmental bodies such as the Environment Agency should be involved in the process.

Last month, Mr Western called for an urgent review into the future and viability of HS2 amid spiralling costs and untimely delivery.

The HS2 programme is the largest infrastructure project in Europe and will cost the taxpayer in excess of £110billion – more than double its original budget.

He also called for more regular debates in Parliament on HS2’s progress.

Mr Western said: “According to HS2’s figures at least 11 ancient woodlands will suffer direct impacts as a result of the railway’s construction.

“The UK is one of the least wooded areas in Europe, with just 13% tree cover compared to nearly a third across European Union nations.

“And ancient woodlands older than 400 years only cover 2% of the UK – and they are a precious amenity.

“Four ancient woods have already been felled in Warwickshire, including 5 acres in South Cubbington.

“We need to make urgent progress in combatting climate change, developing electric vehicle infrastructure, delivering hydrogen to our towns and cities and rolling out full fibre broadband across the UK.

“There is also a need to improve our existing dilapidated railways, particularly in the Midlands and the North.

“It is time for the Government to seriously consider these alternatives to HS2.”

Mr Western also claims workplace culture has been significantly altered due to the pandemic.

In Parliament he cited a report by construction firm Arup which says many fewer workers will be travelling to offices or work sites in the post-pandemic world.

Engineering firm Systra also found 27% of rail commuters say they will make fewer trips on public transport as a result of the virus.

Last month, Mr Western spoke in Parliament after the independent National Infrastructure Commission released a report advising the government to scrap the HS2 ‘eastern leg’ line from Birmingham to Leeds.

The report says the cash should be reinjected into upgrading rail lines in the North and the Midlands in particular.

The Labour MP has vowed to continue campaigning for an urgent review of HS2 and re-consideration of the project.