Maria Eagle has protested that constituents in the Home Counties have been wrongly insulted as ‘nimbys’ for opposing the high speed rail link that will run near their homes.

But of course they will be averse to major construction damaging nearby land and surrounding countryside, especially as this will have little benefit to them.

This is completely understandable, yet if they lived in a different location, there would undoubtedly by a change in support for the rail link. This is evident in the support already evident in other areas of the country.

Boosting the economy, increasing connectivity and reducing journey times are all positive aims of the HS2 proposals. There are certainly arguments against the plans; however these will carry much more weight depending on your address.

Opponents in the Home Counties are nimbys, but this is not always a terrible thing to be. It is part of our psychology to protect what is ‘ours’ from disruption, even if that may benefit someone else.

So while this is less insulting than it may originally seem; it is not wrongly attributed, at least not to the majority of those under its label.