Political uncertainty over infrastructure policy isn鈥檛 a new thing
This week, we look at complaints that political uncertainty is damaging business, including the delay at Heathrow airport. However, it鈥檚 not only the current government that can be accused of this. Successive regimes have winced at Heathrow鈥檚 political sensitivity and kicked the decision forward.
By 2015, Mace鈥檚 chief executive Mark Reynolds had lost patience with David Cameron and his government.鈥淚t鈥檚 appalling. Seeing what David Cameron said, that鈥檚 all good but it鈥檚 not about political nimbyism. They鈥檝e just got to get through all that.鈥�
Read analysis: Infrastructure policy 鈥� 鈥榙elay and procrastination鈥�
Reynolds, who also features in our article this week, was responding to the prime minister鈥檚 statement to MPs that a response to the Davies Commission鈥檚 final report on expanding airport capacity in the South-east would be made by the end of the year.
He added: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why they need another six months to make a decision. The sooner we can get on with it and it can be delivered, the more sustainable jobs we can create.鈥� Perhaps it was good thing he couldn鈥檛 see into the future. If he鈥檇 known the final 鈥測es鈥� vote from government wouldn鈥檛 happen until last summer, he鈥檇 have been even more annoyed.
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