Britain is in a growth emergency – and it’s time we faced up to it. Energy costs are skyrocketing, infrastructure building moves at the pace of rush-hour traffic and our productivity lags so far behind the likes of France and the US that we’re practically begging Mississippi not to overtake us – oh wait, they just did. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Enter the National Priority Infrastructure Bill: a bold plan to supercharge our economy, fast-track essential projects and put Britain back on a path to prosperity.
France went from parliamentary vote to near-complete restoration of Notre Dame in just five years because they gave themselves the freedom to cut through the usual legal tangles. If they can accomplish that feat with a landmark cathedral, we can certainly apply the same logic to overhead power lines.
Get Britain Building Again
Ask yourself: why haven’t we built a new nuclear power station in 30 years? Why do we pay wind farms to switch off their turbines when it gets gusty because we lack enough power lines? Why is the country that kickstarted the Industrial Revolution choking on a labyrinthine planning system so slow that major transport lines or new reservoirs take decades to approve (if they ever get built at all)? Meanwhile, other countries knock up tram networks in the time it takes us to finish a public inquiry. It’s madness.
Our proposed National Priority Infrastructure Bill changes this by slashing the red tape that’s strangling our growth. Instead of spending years dancing through multiple agencies, developers apply once – directly to the Secretary of State. One application, one point of accountability, one route to getting things done.
Power Up, Power Lines and Powering the Future
Cheap, clean and reliable energy is non-negotiable if we want to keep the lights on. We may love wind and solar, but on a still winter’s evening they can’t do the heavy lifting alone. We need nuclear. We’re also wildly short of power lines. Right now, we literally pay wind farms to stand idle because we don’t have the pylons needed to move energy to where it’s used in our homes and businesses. With new data centres mushrooming and AI hoovering up what little spare energy capacity we have left, building lines that actually carry electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s needed is essential.
Let’s Talk Data – Because AI Won’t Wait
We all cheer for Britain’s ambition to become a global AI hub.
The Government’s new AI Opportunities Action Plan is a vital step forward. Among other things, it makes building data centres easier. That’s excellent news because without sufficient data centres, we can’t support the processing power AI requires. But it’s not enough to have a plan; we need to act decisively to ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with our ambitions.
Ireland already gets more than a fifth of its electricity demand from data centres alone – and that figure is still climbing. If Britain can’t build enough data centres (or power them affordably), wave goodbye to the dream of leading in machine learning or next-gen tech. Our Bill unleashes data-centre construction, ensuring we’re not giving away the AI revolution to somewhere else with friendlier rules.
Protecting Beauty, Backing Locals
Worried about bulldozing Britain’s green and pleasant land? So are we. That’s why farmland, ancient woodlands and historic buildings remain off-limits under this Bill. For other sites, each project includes a mandatory fund dedicated to environmental and local infrastructure improvements – topped up with an extra 10%. No more gimmicky ‘bat tunnels’ that nobody asked for (and might even increase harm); instead, actual investment in biodiversity or community upgrades where they matter most.
But we know communities still deal with the noise, dust, and occasional traffic nightmares of big builds. That’s why the Bill includes ‘Patriot Payments’: direct benefits like discounted energy bills or tax breaks for the people living the closest to construction sites. If your neighborhood must put up with a crane, you should share in the gain.
Stop the Frivolous Lawsuits
Judicial review is vital for democracy, but it can be weaponised by a handful of naysayers. Our Bill raises the bar so that repeated, vexatious challenges don’t halt projects for years on end. Genuine concerns? Bring them on. But under our bill, the days of endless legal ping-pong will be over.
Faster, Cheaper, Better – And Soon
Let’s be clear: none of this is pie in the sky, and none of it requires further decades of dithering. Thanks to streamlined processes, the National Priority Infrastructure Bill ensures we see meaningful progress on nuclear stations, data centres and power lines this very parliament. All while preserving the best of Britain’s heritage and countryside.
Why It Matters Now
Look around: real wages have barely budged for 16 years. Housing, transport, and energy costs keep climbing. Our entrepreneurs and scientists are itching to innovate, but can’t if we deny them the basic infrastructure they need to do so. This Bill is an investment not just in building stuff, but in Britain itself.
It’s Time to Dare Greatly
We’ve tried the safe, slow approach: tiny tweaks to tax codes and timid spending adjustments. It got us sub-Mississippi-level incomes and the worst investment rate among major economies. Enough. The National Priority Infrastructure Bill is a rallying cry. Let’s build the nuclear plants, lay the power lines, construct the data centres and energise the country once again. Let’s rediscover the ambitious, can-do spirit that made Britain the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution – and apply it to the future of AI, clean energy and beyond.
In short: We can spend the next 30 years circling the drain – or we can get moving, break ground, and start building the future. The National Priority Infrastructure Bill is our chance to unleash Britain’s potential. Let’s grab it with both hands.
You can read more about Looking for Growth’s Infrastructure Bill here.
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