DISAPPOINTMENT WITH LABOUR’S FIRST BUDGET

Commenting following the first Labour Budget delivered by Rachel Reeves, Allan Wright, our MD, said:

“When Labour failed to include construction within its industrial strategy earlier this month, I was not alone in expressing my surprise and frustration that the government’s early focus and commitment had seemingly lost momentum so quickly.

“The irrefutable fact that, in the intervening weeks, Labour has failed to respond meaningfully to the sector’s challenge alongside its further exclusion from today’s Budget speech, appears completely baffling.

“Clarity on the key issues should have come today. Instead, we’re left still asking when much-needed planning reform be delivered, and when the government will support young people on to the housing ladder.

“These areas could, and should, have all been addressed to provide the tangible detail and confidence that the construction and housebuilding sectors so desperately need in what currently remains a subdued market.

“I can only hope that sector dissatisfaction won’t go unheard for too much longer and that the government eventually recognises the vital role that construction plays in the buoyancy of UK plc.”