The fallout over the shelving of two road schemes in the East Midlands to pay for “defence” continues, with a piece in the Times from regional mayor Claire Ward, in which she points out with some justification that the decision has simultaneously trashed the concepts of a road investment strategy (RIS) and devolution.
It’s a good opening, albeit one that starts with a version of a cliché:
A day is a long time in politics. But it shouldn’t be. Last Monday, Andy Burnham set out his vision for government, which put devolution at the heart of an empowered Britain. Less than 24 hours later, while Sir Keir Starmer delivered his speech on defence, I was on the phone with his office, being informed that the East Midlands would be losing nearly £1 billion of investment across two major road schemes.
While the RIS is a national strategy and regional mayors do not have to be consulted, it is the logic of devolution that mayors will have increasing say (and possibly control) over spending decisions in their area.
Ward also says:
To start putting that right — including by granting the funding for our two road schemes — only to cancel them three months later, says to regions like mine: “You do not matter.”
Something has got garbled in the editing here but the gist of it – that it’s grossly undermining to change your mind three months after publishing a strategy that literally plans “investment” in roads – is bang on.
I think some of Ward’s other arguments about how these two road schemes are essential to defence manufacturing are quite weak but she’s entitled to feel let down by the government that represents the same party as her and talks a good game on devolution.
Transport Insights 
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