GHD highlights the need for long-term commitment amid UK infrastructure cuts
Jonathan Edwards, EMEA Market Development Leader, responded to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s announcement of significant cuts to government programmes, including the Restoring Your Railways fund. Edwards emphasised that while the government’s commitment to enhancing transport infrastructure is clear, the recent budget cuts underscore the necessity for long-term certainty in infrastructure projects.
The Labour government has a commitment to ‘get Britain building’, supercharge transport infrastructure, and prioritise rail connectivity across northern England. This will come at a cost, and I think we are about to see that cost today. Previous pledges were light on detail and the feasibility of swiftly turning political vision into action, but what was clear was that public finances would not allow every programme and project to continue.
“By selecting which projects not to support, the Chancellor is making it clearer where Labour intends to focus government investment, and the industry will now have to react. These announcements may be necessary for a new government and a consequence of realignment based on political direction for the UK. However, infrastructure projects and the public and private sectors that deliver them most desperately need long-term certainty and commitment. Without long-term thinking and commitment, investment cannot be sought, skills cannot be developed, and projects cannot be effectively and sustainably planned or delivered.”
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GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 160 offices located on five continents.