This paper was a collaboration between @britainremade.bsky.social and @britishprogress.org.
For the first time, their Chief Economist Pedro Serodio was able to control for many of the factors that might excuse Britain's relatively high costs. Turns out, there's still a 65% premium (7/N)
This map has some examples of what we could fund with £41.5bn. (3/N)
If that premium was eliminated, our £21bn of annual transport investment (2015–2023 average) would secure 65% more infrastructure per pound. Over a Parliament, Britain would in effect have £41.5bn more actual infrastructure for the amount it already spends. (2/N)
Some argue Britain needs to invest more in transport, but the reality is that we're up there already. The problem is our money buys much less than other countries. (4/N)
Oh, some might ask. Is the cost premium just HS2? In short, no. (5/N)
When you adjust for Britain’s 65% cost premium over peer countries, Britain’s £308 per head becomes just £186. Britain goes from investing more than £37 more than France and £57 than Germany, to investing £85 and £65 less respectively. (6/N)
New study: Britain spends a third more on transport infrastructure than its peers, but because of high construction costs ends up with a fifth less. The UK spends £1.65 to get what £1 buys in France, Germany and Spain. (1/N)
www.britainremade.co.uk/moreforless
Sam Dumitriu
Hinkley Point C might be delayed again.
Why? Because Natural England say the £700 million spent on fish protection at Britain's next nuclear power station is not enough.
We can't go on like this.
youtu.be/NeuUdwD0_-g
In infrastructure, Britain spends more and gets less.
Look at what we could build without raising a penny of tax just by getting our costs down to European levels.
Sam Dumitriu
Sam Dumitriu
Contrary to what has become a standard view in policy circles, the British state does not invest far less than its peer countries. Britain’s broken system of infrastructure investment has limited the ...
Good measured post by @samdumitriu.bsky.social, what I would say is there is a higher synthesis, as UK hyper centralisation + high costs lead to this kind of instability within projects.
www.samdumitriu.com/p/is-feast-a...
