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Except HS2 and the Elizabeth Line :)
Vanity projects of (questionable) value to any other than a small number of people (largely based in the affluent South).

Where are the major infrastructure investments in energy security, water, hospitals, schools, affordable housing? The UK gets 40% of its electricity from gas, yet we have the smallest storage capacity for that gas (a few weeks at best) in Western Europe. Where is the long sighted investment in Nuclear power as France did (and Germany used to do before Merkel decided to decomission and rely on gas from an unreliable partner.). (OK, let's not rely on EDF in the UK, but they are not the only nuclear builders). If we stamped out short term nimbyism (often led by local politicians) we could also invest much more heavily in sustainable power from wind, tide and solar energy. Why have we not bulit any new water reservoirs for over 30 years? OK, privatisation of water, and electricity supply (both stupid ideas) means that private companies have to make those investments rather than Government, but if you are stupid enough to give away national assets to the private sector you must then at least write into the contracts the /legal/ requirement for statutory investment before short term profit. Why are we desperately short of new hospitals and schools? Investing in the health and education of people is a good long term investment with significant positive return. Failure to do so is a short sighted waste of human resource and capability. And unless you can provide decent housing at an affordable price to your citizens you cannot call yourself a civilized country.
 
Just remember New Labour did use PFI to fund most of their building and that is no better for the country
I know. But why assume that I am in favour of PFI? Another stupid idea, just from a labour rather than tory government

For most of the last decade (post 2008/09 crash) HMG could borrow long term for as close to zero percent interest as makes no difference. A sensible man. woman, corporation or goverment would make the most of that opprtunity to lock in a very low repayment schedule for investment in capital projects. We now face having to borrow at stupid interest rates to fund /current/ not /capital/ expenditure. That is like using your credit card to buy food rather than taking out a low interest loan to buy (or extend) your home. Of course, no-one can now afford to buy any home anywhere because along with privatising public utiliites we have de-regulated the finance sector leading to ill advised lending practices pushing up the price of housing. Oh, we also de-regulated the private rental sector. Oops.
 
I know. But why assume that I am in favour of PFI? Another stupid idea, just from a labour rather than tory government

Did I say you were in favour of PFI? NO

I was suggesting that when people talk about all the investments that New Labour did were not capital investments and we'll all be paying for them for a long time

IIRC George Osbourne put a stop to new PFI contracts .

We'll just all have to get ready to pay higher taxes.....
 
Shame you don’t include the part about George Osbourne
A man who did more damage than Thatcher. I make no bones about the disliking the Tory party, but with very good reasons. Osborne was far more extreme than Thatcher, and we are truly reaping the benefits of austerity now. The UK is truly ****** after 40 years of free market capitalism ruling the political scene. Funny how the rich have got richer though isn't it...
 
A man who did more damage than Thatcher. I make no bones about the disliking the Tory party, but with very good reasons. Osborne was far more extreme than Thatcher, and we are truly reaping the benefits of austerity now. The UK is truly ****** after 40 years of free market capitalism ruling the political scene. Funny how the rich have got richer though isn't it...

you need to thank Osbourne for cancelling all future PFI contracts
 
you need to thank Osbourne for cancelling all future PFI contracts
Didn't stop the existing ones though did he, and most of those deals weren't actually signed off by the government, but by the boards running various NHS trusts etc etc. All those overpaid CEOs put in place to run things better. Have you read the Hinckley point deal signed with the Chinese?
 
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