Sir Keir Starmer pledges 150 major infrastructure projects over five years in 'Plan for Change' speech
The Prime Minister made the commitment in his “Plan for Change” speech yesterday, at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where he set out a series of “milestones” or targets for the next five years.
These included promising to ensure that 92 per cent of patients wait no longer than 18 months for NHS treatment, that there is a named police officer for every neighbourhood and that 75 per cent of children start school with a good level of development.
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Hide AdSir Keir also reiterated Labour’s pledge during the election campaign to build 1.5 million homes over the course of the Parliament, and within this incorporated the new infrastructure target.
Speaking in front of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister said: “I can announce another new target, not just 1.5m homes, but also 150 major infrastructure projects, a milestone that will triple the number of decisions on national infrastructure compared with the last Parliament.”
He said this would “send a very clear message to the nimbys, the regulators, the blockers, the bureaucrats, the alliance of naysayers, the people who say ‘no, Britain can’t do this, we can’t get things done in our country'”.
“We say to them ‘you no longer have the upper hand, Britain says yes’,” Sir Keir continued.
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“Because whether you like it or not, we are building a future for working people, making our country strong with stability, investment and reform.”
The Prime Minister made the point that “we haven’t built a reservoir for over 30 years”.
He said that “even the projects we do approve are fought tooth and nail, nail and tooth, until you end up with the absurd spectacle of a £100 million bat tunnel holding up the country’s single biggest infrastructure project, driving up taxes and the cost of living beyond belief”.
“I’ll tell you now: this Government will not accept this nonsense any more,” he added.
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Hide AdYorkshire has seen funding confirmed for several major infrastructure projects since Labour got into power, including the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the start of a tram network in Leeds and Bradford.
However at The Yorkshire Post’s Great Northern Conference earlier in the week, the Chancellor was reluctant to give her full backing to Northern Powerhouse Rail or carbon capture and storage plans in Humberside.
The previous Government also scaled back the HS2 high-speed rail route from going to Leeds or Manchester under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
Sir Keir acknowledged that the six milestones were an “almighty challenge”, but suggested he was not going to remain in the “tepid bath of managed decline”.
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Hide AdThe Prime Minister said: “We face an almighty challenge to hit these milestones by the end of this Parliament. Like I say we are starting from ground zero: waiting lists over 7 million, housing starts and permission the lowest for a decade, one in three children not ready for school at the age of five.”
He added: “Yes they are risky for us. Country first party second, because that is something we have totally lost sight of in British politics and to be honest across Whitehall as well.”
In language that reflected a phrase used by Donald Trump, Sir Keir went on: “I don’t think there is a swamp to be drained here but I do think that too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline, have forgotten to paraphrase JFK that you choose change not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “The Prime Minister’s emergency reset confirms that Labour had 14 years in opposition and still weren’t ready for Government.”
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Hide AdWhile Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for change was “simply moving the goalposts”.
He added: “The Liberal Democrats will hold this Government’s feet to the fire on keeping its promises, most of all on fixing the NHS and care.
“It was worrying to see no clear plan in these targets to make sure people can see a GP when they need to.
“Pledging to bring down waiting lists while neglecting GP services is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
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