tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post4591713073111283027..comments2024-03-29T11:36:35.692+00:00Comments on Capitalists@Work: UK Infrastructure - Admission of failure by OmissionCityUnslickerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-9129585787479829602013-12-05T07:06:35.118+00:002013-12-05T07:06:35.118+00:00However, a real failure of the UK political system...However, a real failure of the UK political system is the inability of Labour and Tories to agree on long-term infrastructure policies on the basis that they should also oppose one another.<br /><br />Absolutely ... and that adversarial system also dominates the judiciary, with similar effects.James Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-63665455569904888782013-12-04T15:53:11.510+00:002013-12-04T15:53:11.510+00:00When you look at the spreadsheet, you find that it...When you look at the spreadsheet, you find that it's largely an accumulation of already committed to spending.<br /><br />58% of all the spending is on Energy, and 94% of that electricity related. 6% of the energy spending is long, long ago committed spending on Nuclear Decommissioning, on mostly our old Magnox and Sellafield sites.<br /><br />Roads amount to 9% of all spending. Amazingly transport in London + Crossrail amounts to 7% of all the spending, almost as much as rail in the rest of the UK (8%) other than HS2 (6.4%). Airports get 1.7% of all the spending, with Heathrow written down for near $4 billion of future spending (not sure what).<br />rwendlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861901317813829419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-67061914365213439952013-12-04T14:29:17.084+00:002013-12-04T14:29:17.084+00:00So ND, could a cynic think the govt statement &quo...So ND, could a cynic think the govt statement "provide a further £50 million for a full redevelopment of the railway station at Gatwick Airport" simply means the project budget is over-running, and they need more cash?<br /><br />I see that the first item of the govt press release is the agreement for govt finance of Hitachi's nuclear power station at Wylfa. The nuc lobby is on a roll. I'm really puzzled how the govt is going to say no fairly to all the other nuc companies hoping to build in the UK at the current subsidised CfD price.<br /><br />And smiling at the <a href="http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/is_the_government_right_to_cut_support_for_onshore_wind_projects_1_3076305" rel="nofollow">Greepeace statement</a> welcoming cuts: "Today’s cuts to onshore wind and solar support schemes show how quickly the cost of clean energy technologies are falling. ... Given the increasing affordability of these renewable energy sources, it’s right ministers should now put emphasis onto helping drive down the cost of offshore wind so that the UK can reap the rewards of new turbine factories and thousands of new jobs."<br /><br />Hmmm.rwendlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861901317813829419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-73682624638782934032013-12-04T13:49:28.122+00:002013-12-04T13:49:28.122+00:00let's be charitable for a second, suspend disb...let's be charitable for a second, suspend disbelief and assume (as I would dearly love to do) that all this government 'action' does indeed catalyse, stimulate and generally encourage genuine economic activity<br /><br /><b>then WTF weren't they doing it 3 years ago ?!</b><br /><br />they have culpably been wasting precious time they just don't have<br /><br />now - back to the cynicism ... last time I went through Gatwick (this week) that new station extension was 75% complete already<br /><br />bloody spin!Nick Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13670594203660051701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-52454425019626392492013-12-04T11:48:48.243+00:002013-12-04T11:48:48.243+00:00Indeed, it's depressing.
The announcement yes...Indeed, it's depressing.<br /><br />The announcement yesterday that the Chinese have offered to build HS2 shows that we have been reduced to the status of a tinpot African country where the Chinese build a railway in return for a 50-year concession. That, and the other news story from the China visit, that Jaguar Land Rover would offshore some production to China tells us everything about how useless Cameron, Osborne and the rest of the public school know-nothings are.DJKnoreply@blogger.com