Farage claims business backing for HS2 is 'to gain contracts'

Business leaders backing the HS2 rail link are primarily those hoping to "gain lucrative contracts", according to outspoken UKIP leader Nigel Farage as he repeated his party's aim of scrapping the £50 billion project.

The UKIP leader discussed the high-speed rail link, plans for a 'super mosque' and his controversial comments on health tourism during a campaign visit to Dudley, where the party has high hopes of causing an election upset on May 7.

UKIP is calling for HS2 to be cancelled in its manifesto due to be published next week.

And Mr Farage is in no doubt the rail link between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds is a huge white elephant and should be scrapped - despite widespread backing from businesses and business leaders in the West Midlands.

He said: "There are elements of the business community who are for HS2 and they potentially see some quite lucrative contracts coming out of it and I don't blame them for that.

"The arguments we've had for Manchester and Birmingham that HS2 would be good for them because of an increased connectivity to London - I don't buy that argument.

"If you look at TGV in France and Lyon and Marseille connections, there's no doubt Paris was the main beneficiary - just as London will be here.

"And secondly, we've asked questions from the start about the cost and this was confirmed by the House of Commons select committee report which said that, per mile of line, it's going to cost nine times what it has cost in France to do the same. There are still massive questions need asking."

The HS2 project has the backing of the Labour, Conservative and Lib Dems in Birmingham, as well as the Chamber of Commerce, as being a key driver of economic growth in the region over the next few years.

The UKIP leader was visiting the Dudley North seat, where candidate Bill Etheridge, also the West Midlands MEP, has high hopes of unseating former Labour minister Ian Austin in a close contest.

A key issue in the rise of UKIP has been opposition to plans for the Dudley Super Mosque.

This issue was at the centre of the resignation last month of former Tory candidate Afzal Amin over a plot involving the English Defence League and a fake march.

Mr Farage said he understood opposition to the Mosque but said it was not a question of the religion, just the size of the building - several smaller mosques would be preferable.

He said: "People need a religious place of worship, the only question is whether that scale is the right one. You shouldn't ban people from following their religion. Whether the super mosque is the right way to do, that is a separate question.

"I personally don't think its a great idea, I'd personally like to see more smaller and proportionate mosques."

Labour has previously described the campaign against the Dudley Super Mosque as scaremongering.

He said he had no figures on the Muslim membership of UKIP, because the party is 'cautious' about grouping its members in that way - but added it would welcome any new members.

And he defended his controversial comments on health tourism. During last week's televised leaders' debate, he said immigrants were coming into Britain simply to get expensive life-saving treatment on the NHS - saying his view was in step with the public.

He said in a recent poll 50 per cent of people said migrants living here already should not get free treatment.

"And I was talking about people who jet in as genuine health tourists. If you asked that question you'd get 75 per cent in favour."

He warned that, as well as HIV, people coming for treatment of cancer and TB were also placing a strain on the NHS.

Mr Farage also said UKIP simply did not support toll roads and therefore the former section of M6 between Cannock and Coleshill would be opened up - relieving traffic on the wider road network.

The candidates in Dudley North are: Ian Austin (Lab), Mike Collins (Lib Dem), Will Duckworth (Green), Bill Etheridge (UKIP), Les Jones (Con) and David Pitt (TUSC).