Former communities secretary Robert Jenrick has called for the revival of the government’s Project Speed initiative to accelerate infrastructure delivery.
Writing in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph, Robert Jenrick claimed credit for the Project Speed initiative but said that since his sacking from cabinet in September 2021 it had been abandoned.
He said the next prime minister should revive the programme to override the forces impeding the delivery of essential energy infrastructure.
He wrote: “We need to dismantle the powerful vetocracy that has impoverished the UK decades – and not just when it comes to energy infrastructure. The water crisis can be traced back to constant opposition to the construction of new reservoirs in the South East. We remain trapped with stagnant productivity as businesses cannot invest in capital projects.
“Indeed, the government recently cancelled the initiative that sought to grow such capacity around Oxford and Cambridge, potentially adding huge value to UK Plc. And the vetocracy is just as destructive at blocking vital energy infrastructure - making it virtually impossible to construct new nuclear sites or wind farms. In government I established Project Speed, a team of capable civil servants whose task was to find ways of speeding up the delivery of critical infrastructure. It was complex and laborious work, but likely to pay dividends down the tracks. Project Speed, I am told, was deprioritised, then abandoned. The next PM would be wise to restart it if we are to bring new energy onto our grid sooner.”
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