The Expert Factor: Why is the UK so bad at infrastructure?
Listen now
Description
From HS2 cancellations to Heathrow’s still unbuilt third runway, the over-budget Elizabeth line to the repeated delays to the Hinkley C nuclear reactor, why is the UK so bad at infrastructure projects?  This week the Expert Factor team – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – take a deep dive into what goes wrong when the UK wants to build big things. How did the costs for HS2 get so high? Is there the right level of government expertise to see through big infrastructure projects? Does the UK have a bigger NIMBY problem than other countries? And what could be done to learn from past mistakes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More Episodes
At the end of October, the ONS announced that the fertility rate in England and Wales had fallen to 1.44 births per woman in 2023 - the lowest figure since records began in 1938.  What will this mean for the population make-up of the country? What other big demographic shifts are occurring? Why...
Published 11/08/24
117 days after Labour took office, Rachel Reeves has finally delivered her Budget. From tax rises and fiscal rules, to public services and investment, we'll take a tour around all of the big announcements.  Paul is joined by Helen Miller and Ben Zaranko, colleagues at the IFS. Find out more:...
Published 10/31/24
Published 10/31/24