Even after prioritising capital spending, the spending review is not delivering substantially higher levels of investment in economic infrastructure. This is not going to be transformative for growth.
How much of the post-war public sector estate is going to come to the end of its useful life over the next few decades – and how much will we end up paying for the false economy of cheap concrete?
Some Tory members would see such a development as nothing less than an establishment coup: as a conspiracy of bad actors working together to win revenge for Brexit.
“I would expect to see a boost to defence” as “the government must respond to increased threats to the UK”, says the Shadow Defence Secretary.
It’s striking that the countries that did best during Covid are those, like Taiwan and South Korea, which live under threat of annihilation by their neighbours.
I hesitate to disagree with Daniel Finkelstein, but city growth has been powered more by smalltown commuters than flat-cap wearing uber-boheminans.
Can have a bold enough economic policy that people in these newly gained seats can see the difference in five years’ time?
Any candidate who focuses solely on leaving the EU will hit a brick wall with the Parliamentary Party.
Given the resistance of Tory MPs to spending cuts and tax rises, Hammond’s easiest course would be to push any into the future. But this wouldn’t be problem-free…
To reduce investment in infrastructure or R&D is to take away from the future – just as surely as running up unsustainable debt does.
The second part of our series on reducing demand for government, in which we set out a programme for change – focused on families, civil society and government.