If you asked the chancellor to spell out the mantra of this Labour government, it would be — to borrow from Sir Tony Blair — “investment, investment, investment”.
The string of private sector projects announced at the government-organised summit of the world’s biggest money managers in London on Monday is therefore a clear (and rare) win for an administration that has stumbled through its first 100 days in office.
Money was pledged to a 5GW offshore wind farm project, upgrades to the gas-transmission system and expanding the electric vehicle charging network, to name just a few. These are the types of goods and services that consumers and businesses will rely on to a greater degree as the economy moves toward net zero. They will need