the project allan cook has written to the department for transport, saying it can't be completed for the official budget of £56 billion. earlier i spoke to the rail analyst, christianns. it has been expected that the estimate of 56 billion has stayed the same for several years. there has been lots of rumours about the property crisis going up, about the complexity of the scheme and all sorts of other aspects. of course we helps in crossrail budget go up from 15 to £17 billion for top this is no surprise. the amount is quite surprisingly. i mean, tojumpfrom 56 billion to maybe 75 to 85 billion, that is serious bananas. particular important timing, isn't it? we are about to get a change of prime minister. if it is, as predicted, borisjohnson, taking charge next week, he is not known as afan of charge next week, he is not known as a fan of hs2. charge next week, he is not known as a fan of h52. his constituency is dead against it, it goes underneath oxbridge and does not do any good to them. politically, he likes grad proteges, so he quite likes that. so he is kind of waffling, as it were. the timing of this leak is rather interesting, isn't it? because, you know, why