
Growth, growth, and more growth has (un)officially been the Government’s watchword since July, and this week has enforced that ambition as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has blitzed the airways with new announcements:
Fewer opportunities to overturn major infrastructure decisions through the courts
Support of the “Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor”, with its own Champion Sir Patrick Vallance, and a new “Growth Commission for Oxford”
18 submissions for proposed new towns along the East-West Rail line
New AI Growth Zones benefitting from a streamlined planning approvals process
Plans to regenerate Old Trafford, home of Manchester United
News that the Environment Agency (EA) had officially dropped its objections to a 4,500-home scheme in Cambridgeshire
A third runway at Heathrow and updates to the airports national policy statement (NPS)
A moratorium on new statutory consultees and promised a review of the statutory consultee system
A centralised fund instead of environmental improvements on specific sites
A roadmap for the delivery of a new environment assessment system in “coming months”
Politically, Labour are seeking to show that after a sluggish start, they are moving swiftly forward on their ambitions to build 1.5 million homes by 2029 and increase growth.
The above announcements have the potential for criticism from both the right and left of British politics, from the Greens to Reform. As we approach local elections, Labour can expect to lose seats to these third parties.
Sir Keir Starmer and those around him will however be gambling that, if Labour can meet their goals, then the Party has a reasonable chance of re-election in 2029.
Labour aren’t just trying to meet their goals; they are choosing short-term pain over long-term gain.