Ignore democracy and just build, says IoD

These are two of the main proposals in an IoD report on how to grow the economy on free-market principles at no financial cost to the taxpayer.

It says that a genuine fast-track planning system for key national projects is needed to boost construction sector and replace ageing infrastructure. “Local objections will need to be overridden,” it states, somewhat alrmingly.

Other proposals – equally unlikely to be well received by the broad political consensus – include:

• Abolish certain employment rights, including the right to request flexible working and the right to request time off for training
• Hypothecate (earmark) all future profits from sale of state-owned bank shares for infrastructure projects
• End national collective bargaining in the health and education sectors.

IoD director-general Miles Templeman said: “The government wants to maximise the opportunities for economic growth but it has little or no money with which to do it. Today we have identified two dozen growth boosting measures that will cost taxpayers little or nothing. By adopting these measures, the government’s growth strategy would be enhanced immediately. We urge ministers to seize this opportunity.

“The government’s deficit reduction strategy is central to improving growth prospects and the overall business environment, but the Government also needs to reform the supply-side of the economy to boost the private sector. Many of the measures we have proposed today are long overdue and would improve the UK’s infrastructure and the functioning of its labour market.”

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