Can a 'Boris bounce' spring us from productivity prison?

摘要

PAUL CONNOLLY MD - UK cost management, Turner & Townsend As we enter the 2020s, talk of a 'Boris bounce' is getting an enthusiastic response from construction. With the Conservatives having pledged £100bn over five years for transport infrastructure projects, plus £10bn for its Single Housing Infrastructure Fund, there is a sense of optimism following Johnson's win. However, after nearly five years of faltering growth, these opportunities need to come together with a commitment to tackle the industry's endemic productivity problem. For government money to kickstart real growth in the infrastructure sector, the industry needs to take an introspective look at the systemic challenges it faces. Productivity is the most deep-rooted of all. There are plenty of short-term distractions in our in-trays, of course, not least the looming post-Brexit trading relationship with the EU.