Labour's autumn budget must reverse a decade of decline in UK infrastructure | Infrastructure

Rachel Reeves has been warned by Britain's biggest manufacturers that her autumn budget must address a decade of national infrastructure stagnation that is holding back economic growth.

A survey by industry body Make UK found that more than half of manufacturers said the country's road infrastructure had deteriorated over the past decade, making it slower and more expensive to produce and export British products.

A survey of 390 companies by the trade body representing 20,000 industries across the UK found that three-quarters of respondents believed a good road network was important to their supply chains, while more than half disagreed with Rishi Sunax's decision to scrap the northern section of HS2.

The budget report submitted by the Chancellor on October 30th said the UK's poor road conditions were driving up logistics costs and making it difficult for workers to move around and acquire skills.

The study found that businesses in the North of England were more critical of roads than other parts of the country, with large regional disparities in infrastructure quality.

The former Prime Minister's decision to scrap the Northern section of HS2 has been met with 57% of businesses opposing it, rising to 61% in the North of England.

But research shows that digital infrastructure has improved over the past decade since the previous government invested in 5G connectivity and other new technologies.

Late last month, the Chancellor announced cuts to some infrastructure projects, including roads, rail and hospitals, after discovering a $22 billion shortfall in public finances left by the Conservatives.

But Make UK said the Chancellor must urgently invest in long-term infrastructure projects to make Britain more attractive to international businesses and investors.

Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, said: After years of underinvestment, this new government must now be bold in investing in infrastructure and, in doing so, boost productivity.

Fixing our roads should be a top priority on this agenda, and UK manufacturers want an immediate focus on A roads and motorways. To make this happen, manufacturers want to accelerate the planning process through more local decision-making and support for local authorities.

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Increasing investment in local bus networks to connect rural areas means more young people can get good-paying manufacturing jobs, and a long-term rail project to further expand east-west links is desperately needed to provide equal opportunity across the UK.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We are aware of the poor condition of local roads and are doing everything we can to address it.

We are committed to updating our road networks, including helping local authorities repair up to 1 metre more potholes every year.

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