PM Johnson demands Britain "Build, build, build" to beat COVID-19 slump

By William James

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street in London, Britain, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to shake Britain's economy out of its coronavirus-induced crisis on Tuesday, by fast-tracking infrastructure investment and slashing property planning rules.

 

As Britain emerges from lockdown, Johnson is looking to move past criticism of his government's handling of the pandemic with a plan to repair the economic damage and reshape the country.

 

"We cannot continue simply to be prisoners of the crisis," Johnson said. "We must work fast because we've already seen the vertiginous drop in GDP."

 

His message, delivered at a college in the central English town of Dudley, was overshadowed by the announcement of a new lockdown in Leicester, just 50 miles away, where COVID-19 infections are surging.

 

Nevertheless, with an exhortation to "build, build, build", Johnson announced plans to speed up government infrastructure spending and "scythe through red tape" around planning to make property development easier.

 

Promising not to cut spending, compared his plan to former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" programme of the 1930s, which included job-creating public work projects to help the United States recover from the Great Depression.

 

"I'm conscious ... that it sounds like a prodigious amount of government intervention, sounds like a new deal... If that is so, then that is how it's meant to sound," Johnson said.

 

Tuesday's headline spending announcement of 5 billion pounds ($6.13 billion), announced before the speech, amounts to around 5 percent of gross public sector investment last year. Most had already been announced and is only being spent sooner than planned.

 

Britain's recent history also shows that big infrastructure projects are difficult to deliver.

 

A new underground train line in central London is over budget and late, as is a north-south high speed rail link. After decades of discussing airport expansion at London Heathrow, the project remains mired in legal challenges.

 

The 5 billion pounds of accelerated investment will be made up of projects including hospitals, schools and roads.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-30

 

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4 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

After decades of discussing airport expansion at London Heathrow, the project remains mired in legal challenges.

They need to knock down Heathrow and completely rebuilt it , its all old a decrepit and Third division/Third World  compared to other World modern airports

Just now, CorpusChristie said:

They need to knock down Heathrow and completely rebuilt it , its all old a decrepit and Third division/Third World  compared to other World modern airports

You're confident they will need airports in the future?

I'm not so sure.

13 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Promising not to cut spending, compared his plan to former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" programme of the 1930s

Roosevelt called it "New Deal".... for BJ it's called "Dream On" but I don't see it to happen

Will need to import some eastern Europeans labourers then, that will be good for jobs lol. Currently 9.3 million on furlough and 2.6 million self employed on furlough.

 

The 3 million Hong Kongers will need jobs too.

Edited June 30, 20206 yr by tribalfusion001

27 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

an exhortation to "build, build, build",

Go for it Boris. That's the way to get the country back to work.

He is promising to build so that the young can have the same opportunities to own a home that the older generation had when Thatcher gave all the houses away for pittance. 

Cant argue with that. 
 

It’s the younger generation have suffered the most from this COVID lockdown and will continue to do so for years, albeit the ones who are least likely to suffer from the disease. 

 

 

Judging by the comments in The Sun that I'm reading now, this plan hasn't gone down very well. That's why he didn't sack Cummings he is useful for sound bites without substance.

 

He hasn't addressed what is going to happen in the short term.

50 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

He is promising to build so that the young can have the same opportunities to own a home that the older generation had when Thatcher gave all the houses away for pittance. 

Cant argue with that. 
 

 

Can argue with that because people who get given council houses will never own those houses.............unless the Government decides to sell them those houses...........cheaply , like Thatcher did

1 hour ago, Kadilo said:

 

It’s the younger generation have suffered the most from this COVID lockdown and will continue to do so for years, albeit the ones who are least likely to suffer from the disease. 

 

 

How do you work that one out? Is it because they have been enjoying subsidised furlough but can't get out shopping and clubbing to spend the money they have saved?

17 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Can argue with that because people who get given council houses will never own those houses.............unless the Government decides to sell them those houses...........cheaply , like Thatcher did

the right to buy still exists in the uk for council houses and some rights where housing associations have taken over property from the council

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

scythe through red tape" around planning to make property development easier.

Ah, those donating to the tory party will be very pleased. 

Conjuring up Roosevelt's New Deal makes Boris sound delusional.

Where are the Iron Dukes and Iron Ladies when you need them?

27 minutes ago, Loiner said:

How do you work that one out? Is it because they have been enjoying subsidised furlough but can't get out shopping and clubbing to spend the money they have saved?

Because a lot them will lose their jobs that's why.

7 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Because a lot them will lose their jobs that's why.

So the young are the only ones who will lose their jobs?

"We'll keep all the older ones working because they're more expensive and would find it more difficult to be reemployed again??????"

11 minutes ago, Loiner said:

So the young are the only ones who will lose their jobs?

"We'll keep all the older ones working because they're more expensive and would find it more difficult to be reemployed again??????"

Ask Tommy

It May be off topic but I looked at a picture in the UK newspaper the Mail last week of his new 1 million pound Airplane.............&  I think they have painted the UK flag upside down.....

............................But what would I know.

 

1 hour ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Ask Tommy

Tommy who? I bet you're itching to tell me. How can you inveigle the apologists favourite into a post-covid economic recovery topic?

The UK seems to have endless money.

Too bad that BJ does not say a word about counter-financing.

Financing through government loans.

Boris Johnson: Economy speech fact-checked https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/53236921

3 hours ago, Loiner said:

How do you work that one out? Is it because they have been enjoying subsidised furlough but can't get out shopping and clubbing to spend the money they have saved?

That’s exactly what I would expected someone with that mugshot to come out with 

21 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

That’s exactly what I would expected someone with that mugshot to come out with 

All the pubs in Rayleigh apart from Wetherspoons are table bookings only, what about Southend?

14 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

All the pubs in Rayleigh apart from Wetherspoons are table bookings only, what about Southend?

Blimey, Rayleigh. You're scarily close to me ????????

16 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

All the pubs in Rayleigh apart from Wetherspoons are table bookings only, what about Southend?

Not sure mate tbh. I’m not around there at the moment. Prob the same I would guess 

1 minute ago, CG1 Blue said:

Blimey, Rayleigh. You're scarily close to me ????????

Basildon, Wickford, Hadleigh, Hockley, Canvey?

32 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

All the pubs in Rayleigh apart from Wetherspoons are table bookings only, what about Southend?

Brixton opened up 5 days ago.... 

Or was it 6 days ????

8 minutes ago, Davo369 said:

Or was it 6 days ????

Looked alright, I wouldn't mind going to a street party, fat chance where I am????

28 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Basildon, Wickford, Hadleigh, Hockley, Canvey?

Grew up in Hullbridge, Hockley, Rayleigh. Now in Leigh. 

 

Just to bring it back on topic, go Boris! ????

 

 

15 hours ago, Kadilo said:

He is promising to build so that the young can have the same opportunities to own a home that the older generation had when Thatcher gave all the houses away for pittance. 

Cant argue with that. 
 

It’s the younger generation have suffered the most from this COVID lockdown and will continue to do so for years, albeit the ones who are least likely to suffer from the disease. 

 

 

Well we do still have a housing crisis and we should be building, and it should add up to some wonderful bribes for the Tory party from the building companies. 

 

Thatcher gave all the houses away for pittance...............indeed she did, but the problem was that local councils were prohibited from replacing them.  That is where the housing crisis actually started. 

 

Build, build, build, .......why not. Goodbye the green fields of Engerlund, one vast housing estate beckons. 

 

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.