{"id":10663,"date":"2016-11-22T17:06:30","date_gmt":"2016-11-22T17:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=10663"},"modified":"2016-11-23T15:56:50","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T15:56:50","slug":"pothole-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=10663","title":{"rendered":"‘Pothole’ nation?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Speculation over what chancellor Phillip Hammond will unveil in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday (November 23) is running high, but one thing is certain \u00e2\u20ac\u201c infrastructure spending will be a top priority.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is understood that Hammond will announce a \u00c2\u01411.3bn roads improvement programme, with \u00c2\u01411.1bn to be spent tackling congestion by upgrading local roads and \u00c2\u0141220m to alleviate \u00e2\u20ac\u0098pinch points\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 on motorways and major A roads.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The infrastructure spending pledge will be seen as point of departure from Hammond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s predecessor George Osbourne, who was one of the main architects of austerity that saw public investment slashed to the bone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But will it really be all that much different under the new chancellor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leadership?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Although \u00c2\u01411.3bn may seem a generous sum, just weeks ago an investigation found that fixing England\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s potholes alone would cost \u00c2\u014112bn<\/a> and take 14 years, based on an analysis of council data of pothole back logs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Our roads are deteriorating fast and it would take almost \u00c2\u014112bn, and it could be nearly 2030, before we could bring them up to scratch and clear the current roads repair backlog,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said the Local Government Association (LGA) transport spokesperson Martin Tett.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Councils fixed a pothole every 15 seconds again last year despite significant budget reductions leaving them with less to spend on fixing our crumbling roads,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Failed projects<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s track record on delivering on infrastructure projects has so far been abysmal \u00e2\u20ac\u201c despite endless talk of building a Northern Powerhouse, just last week the Department of Transport (DfT) scrapped a Hull-Selby rail electrification project<\/a>, a move met by anger from local politicians and residents alike.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are extremely disappointed and frustrated to learn that the DfT has turned down the Hull to Selby rail electrification,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Hull City councillor Martin Mancey.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“We’ve worked very closely with First Hull Trains on this project, which has been on the DfT’s agenda for quite some time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the only transport infrastructure project that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been shelved or delayed either \u00e2\u20ac\u201c many projects that were part of a \u00c2\u014115bn road-building programme<\/a> announced by the previous Tory government in 2014 have yet to be completed, or even started.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The TUC last week lambasted<\/a> the government for its poor performance on public investment, after publishing an analysis that found out of OECD countries, the UK ranks near the bottom for capital investment in important areas of economic development.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The UK fared worst in transport investment. As a percentage of 2014 GDP (the latest figures), UK investment was the lowest in the OECD, ranking in last place out of 34 countries.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just waltz into Brexit with our fingers crossed,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said TUC general secretary Frances O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Grady in response to the analysis. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf the government doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t invest in Britain it could go very badly wrong. And working people will pay the price with fewer jobs, lower wages and higher prices.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut if the government invests in Britain, we can build an economy strong enough to thrive,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need investment in rail and roads. We need investment in new homes and clean energy. And we need investment in skills, education and fair pay for a world-class workforce.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the right thing to do for better jobs and higher wages. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the best way to build an economy strong enough to compete in the global marketplace.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Public investment call<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Unite, too has highlighted the importance of public investment to jumpstart an economy that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been stagnating and sees darker days yet as Brexit looms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In its submission to the Treasury ahead of tomorrow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Autumn Statement, Unite noted that any increases in headline GDP we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen recently have been \u00e2\u20ac\u015breliant on consumption, and are unsustainable\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe financial crisis and the slowest recovery on record have cruelly exposed this fundamental structural weakness – the chronic underinvestment in our country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s creaking infrastructure,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 the submission noted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis investment is necessary to create the sustainable, higher levels of economic growth that will then \u00e2\u20ac\u0098crowd-in\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 private investment and be the bedrock that enables an industrial strategy to flourish,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Unite explained.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDirecting public investment in infrastructure can ensure that it is built in a way that is coordinated with the needs for an industrial strategy to flourish, for regional balance and can be used to create decent work and a more equitable society.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke argued that Hammond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s latest road improvement spend shows that the new government \u00e2\u20ac\u201c despite using the rhetoric of industrial strategy \u00e2\u20ac\u201c still just doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThrowing a billion pounds at our roads and expecting our creaking infrastructure to suddenly become world-class after decades of underinvestment is wishful thinking at best,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOne-off projects and pledges designed to make only headlines is not the same thing as having a sound industrial strategy. We need a systematic approach to create a productive economy which necessitates concerted, regionally balanced public investment in infrastructure such housing, transport, future energy needs, and communications.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis in turn creates highly-skilled, well-paid jobs, which will enable local communities to blossom after years of decline.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe industrial strategy we envision to help see us through the post-Brexit storm also must include a public procurement policy that promotes our foundation industries such as steel \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made in Britain, it should be bought by Britain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis government must step up to the plate in tomorrow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Autumn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Statement \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we need a long-term strategy if we want to build a post-Brexit economy that works for everyone.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find out more about Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strategy to defend manufacturing post-Brexit here. <\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speculation over what chancellor Phillip Hammond will unveil in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday (November 23) is running high, but one thing is certain \u00e2\u20ac\u201c infrastructure spending will be a top priority.   It is understood that Hammond will announce a \u00c2\u01411.3bn roads improvement programme, with \u00c2\u01411.1bn to be spent tackling congestion by upgrading local […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[631,633,637,522,115],"wps_subtitle":"Industrial strategy vital to tackle creaking infrastructure ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10663"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10663"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10665,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10663\/revisions\/10665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}