HS2: Is the UK bad at big infrastructure projects?
This Is Why28 Sep 2023

HS2: Is the UK bad at big infrastructure projects?

When it was first given the go-ahead back in 2012, Britain's new high-speed rail line connecting the south, the Midlands and the north of England was predicted to cost £32.7bn.

Now, after delays and inflation fuelled by Brexit, Covid and the invasion of Ukraine, this figure is closer to £100bn. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also avoided answering questions on whether the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the route will go ahead, leaving the future of the project shrouded in uncertainty.

So why was the initial cost estimate so different to what the final number will be?

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson sits down with our business correspondent Paul Kelso to discuss the problems with the way the UK plans major infrastructure projects and asks whether any of these projects ever come close to what they are predicted to cost.

While we've got you... please take a few moments to let us know your thoughts on our podcasts and your listening preferences by filling in a short survey - click here.


Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce
Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi
Podcast promotion producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John
Archive researcher: Simon Windsor
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(1000)

Why grooming gang ringleader cannot be deported

Why grooming gang ringleader cannot be deported

He’s a convicted child rapist who’s been stripped of his British citizenship. But the ringleader of a notorious Rochdale grooming gang – released from jail this week – cannot be removed from the UK.Sh...

2 Jul 21min

Why Trump’s Iran war is finally costing UK households

Why Trump’s Iran war is finally costing UK households

Whether you’ve been enjoying or enduring the summer heatwave, running that new air-con unit has just got a whole lot more expensive.For millions of people across England, Scotland and Wales the cost o...

1 Jul 14min

Why Burnham’s housebuilding boom is doomed

Why Burnham’s housebuilding boom is doomed

Every prime minister promises ambitious plans to build new homes – every prime minister in more than half a century has failed. Andy Burnham says he’ll be different.The former Manchester mayor is on t...

30 Jun 17min

Why British waters are less safe under defence drone plans

Why British waters are less safe under defence drone plans

Drones in, destroyers out. The Royal Navy looks set to be the biggest losers when the Defence Investment Plan is finally published. Instead of building a new fleet of state-of-the-art warships, we wil...

29 Jun 15min

Why the King's tax return leaves unanswered questions

Why the King's tax return leaves unanswered questions

The King has revealed how much income tax he pays, becoming the first monarch to ever do so. The Palace said the move was “increasing transparency”, but have the royals given us the full picture? Nia...

26 Jun 15min

Why we're in the dark on defence under Andy Burnham

Why we're in the dark on defence under Andy Burnham

It's all a little awkward. Sir Keir Starmer is set to deliver his defence spending proposals to NATO next month, despite having lost both his job and his defence secretary.But the outgoing PM seems de...

25 Jun 17min

Why is the UK feeling the heat more than ever?

Why is the UK feeling the heat more than ever?

When an event discussing extreme heat at London Climate Week is called off due to... extreme heat, you know things are bad. In the words of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, “London is cooking.” ...

24 Jun 22min

Why Brexit will define Burnham’s relationship with Europe

Why Brexit will define Burnham’s relationship with Europe

A decade to the day since the Brexit referendum, the European Union has postponed a proposed summit to reset the UK’s relationship with Europe. Following the fall of the Starmer premiership, Brussels ...

23 Jun 20min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
fotballpodden-2
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
rss-gukild-johaug
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
hanna-de-heldige
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
aftenbla-bla
e24-podden
frokostshowet-pa-p5
chit-chat-med-helle