This is another pre-election con trick from David Cameron - Dugher

Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to the Government’s road improvements announcement said:

“This is another pre-election con trick from David Cameron. This desperate so-called announcement of promised road improvements includes no additional money and people simply won’t fall for it. 

“When it comes to road investment, the truth is Cameron leaves us like a frustrated motorist trying to get through the rush hour - we’re stuck going nowhere fast. 

"Cameron should be judged on his record, not on a speech, and his record on road investment has been nothing but a chaotic series of u-turns.  Cutting investment, then promising to restore it after 2015.  Cancelling road schemes, like the A14, then reinstating them.  And constantly failing to meet deadlines for the completion of improvements. 

“Far from taking big decisions on transport, Cameron has dithered for five years on airport expansion and has been so slow to bring forward the HS2 Bill that it won’t pass in this Parliament.

"We know Cameron’s record on infrastructure is one of all talk and no delivery.  Infrastructure output has fallen by nearly 20 per cent since May 2010 and less than a third of projects in the Government’s pipeline are actually classed as ‘in construction’.

“The Tories should back Labour’s plan for an independent infrastructure commission to end the dither and delay on the decisions we need to take for Britain’s future.”

ENDS

Editor’s notes:

Infrastructure failure

National Infrastructure Plan

In its November 2011 National Infrastructure Plan the Government set out 40 ‘priority projects’.  However, these have been beset by dithering and delay. Here are just a few examples: