Labour says government 'in chaos' after Downing Street confirms national infrastructure plan delay
2 min read
Labour has claimed the Government is "in chaos" and Downing Street confirmed the national infrastructure plan has been delayed.
The blueprint for major building projects was due to be published alongside the Budget next week, but will now be delayed for months.
Just three weeks ago, then-Chancellor Sajid Javid confirmed the timetable to publish the £100bn National Infrastructure Strategy had not changed
But on Friday, a spokesman for the Prime Minister confirmed that it had now been put on hold.
He said: "For too long we have underinvested in our infrastructure, so it is vital we give these decisions the time and care they deservn.
"The upcoming budget will set out considerable investment plans and see us deliver on the promises we made to the British people to level up across the UK.
"The National infrastructure plan will follow in the coming months and government officials are working on it as a priority."
But Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: "This is absolute chaos in government.
"We are facing the threat of climate change and an economy at risk of recession. That’s why we desperately need an immediate start to large scale infrastructure investment.
"Delaying implementation of investment is unacceptable."
Sir John Armitt, the chair of the national infrastructure commission, said he was "disappointed", but hoped the delay would give the Government more time to implement changes to the review.
"Naturally we are disappointed about the further delay in the Government's formal resposne to the national infrastructure assessment, which we published over 18 months ago," he said.
"However, we are encouraged by the evident focus the Government wishes to place on investing in the UK's future infrastructure.
He added: "Prioritising that investment within a long-term plan is key to success and if a short delay leads to a better strategy that more comprehensively addresses our recommendations, it will be worth the wait."
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