HS2 and the fallacy of economic benefits

Protest signs mark where HS2 tracks are planned west of Manchester. ‘The effect on Manchester and Liverpool is more likely to be that of draining their economic lifeblood,’ writes Steve Lupton. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty ImagesI will try to explain how economic geography works to Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram (Letters, 18 April), and anyone else who would like to know. In relatively small countries, like the UK, economic and other activity becomes attracted to a central city,