Labour backs national infrastructure body

A report out today argues that Britain is 40 years behind the rest of the world when it comes to infrastructure. The Armitt Review, commissioned by Labour and written by Sir John Armitt CBE, says Britain needs a new independent body to develop national infrastructure projects. The review warns that the UK needs to upgrade its energy, water and transport systems to cope with future population increase:

“The Office for National Statistics forecasts that the UK population will grow to over 73 million people by 2035. However, there is little evidence that the Government is planning for the infrastructure that will be needed by then to support another 10 million people.”

The Armitt report argues that current plans could see the UK facing power shortages by 2015 and that the cost of congestion could spiral up  to £36 billion each year by 2025. The review also says we could face a transport crisis if we fail to upgrade ‘runway capacity’, a recommendation which could reignite the debate over Heathrow’s fourth runway.

The review also warns that ‘investor confidence has been undermined’ by the UK’s short term party politics. With such heated debate between Labour and the Conservatives over British infrastructure projects like HS2 and Heathrow, investors are wary of getting involved. But Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has said he hopes the government will ‘work with us’ to upgrade the UK’s infrastructure:

“For decades successive governments have all too often ducked and delayed the vital decisions we need to make on Britain’s long-term infrastructure. The Olympics showed what can be done when there is cross-party consensus and a sense of national purpose. Now we need that same drive and spirit to plan ahead for the next thirty years and the needs of future generations.”

Meanwhile, former Labour Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, who was consulted for the review, backed the infrastructure report wholeheartedly:

“John Armitt’s report puts infrastructure planning and investment at the heart of the national political debate, where they belong.  His proposal for an independent National Infrastructure Commission, reporting directly to government and Parliament, is excellent.  The decades-long impasse on Heathrow, which continues without end in sight,  shows how important this is.”