What does a new Labor government mean for transportation?

 So the UK has a new Labor government and a new prime minister, Keir Starmer.  

What will the new government do in the transportation sector?  The environment?  Urban policy?  The short answer is probably “nothing dramatic.”  

Keir Starmer has been steering the Labor party toward a moderate course, and the party has promised to adhere to tight fiscal discipline, limiting the scope of any new policies and projects.

The best guide to a new British government’s likely policies is the party’s election “manifesto” (equivalent to US party platforms), which British politicians take very seriously.  

A few highlights of the Labor party manifesto in the recent election (available here) will give an idea of what may lie ahead:

• Nationalize the passenger railway system – gradually.  Existing services in much of the country are provided by contracts with private operators.  As these contracts expire, they will be taken under “Great British Railways.”  The new Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, has said that a bill to make this happen will be considered in the new Parliament.  It will be interesting to see the details.  (For more on her views – including Labor’s modest plans for rail improvement – see the New Statesman article here.)

• Fill an extra one million potholes a year, paid for by terminating one highway bypass project.  Quite a non-inspirational goal!  I’m all in favor of fix-it-first, but this seems like the kind of promise a US state DOT secretary makes at a budget hearing rather than a national vision.

• Develop a ten-year infrastructure strategy.  A good thing to do, but there doesn’t seem to be much money available for it.

• Build 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years.  The government will take a “brownfield first” approach, set mandatory housing targets, and adjust (in some way) the local planning system, all while preserving the green belt.  A lot of juggling to be done here.

• Make Britain a “clean energy superpower.”  The government will prioritize renewable energy, nuclear power, carbon capture, upgrading the grid, and lowering consumer energy costs.  These initiatives are intended to deliver cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030.  It’s not entirely clear how all of this will be achieved.

In short, the new Labor government starts with good intentions but limited ambitions.  And even those ambitions are constrained by the need to fit within whatever  resources can be scraped together from savings, efficiencies, and new revenue from hoped-for economic growth.  We’ll keep our fingers crossed!