Video: Armitt says challenge still to focus politicians on long term infrastructure need

Re-emergence of National Infrastructure Commission style plan not ruled out but focus is now on “different ways of skinning the cat” to deliver vital evidence to persuade politicians, says Sir John Armitt.

Helping people to understand the value of infrastructure remains one of the greatest challenges for infrastructure professionals, Sir John Armitt said last week.

And while not ruling out the re-emergence of a successor to his Labour supported National Infrastructure Commission plan to help prioritise nationally important infrastructure, Armitt said that focus now should be on putting the case to politicians for adopting a longer term view.

“I find it hard to believe that government, Treasury and the departments are not interested in, and wanting to look forward to the long terms [infrastructure] needs [of the UK]." Sir John Armitt

“I think there are different ways of skinning the cat,” said Armitt speaking to Infrastructure Intelligence at the recent Tomorrow’s Rail conference in London. 

“I find it hard to believe that government, Treasury and the departments are not interested in, and wanting to look forward to the long terms [infrastructure] needs [of the UK] so I think that it a question of how we can collectively address that and continue to put the case in front of politicians and give them the evidence,” he added. “There are no shortage of people who want this to happen – saying let’s have a long term view – we need to find a way to coalesce that view.”

Armitt said the profession needed to be “more effective at helping people understand why we need to do things and the consequences of not doing them and what the choices are.”

“It is a long term sale but we classically rely on crisis.”

He added by way of example: “High Speed 2 needs to retain its momentum, and I think it will, and we need to build the confidence of politicians that it is going to be built as efficiently and effectively as possible and isn’t going to cost too much.”