Boris: lets spend our way out of the downturn

The Tory mayor of London has visions of Crossrail, the North London Line, Thames Tideway Tunnel or the East London line, being London's Hoover Dam.

The doomsters may or may not be right in saying that we are on the verge of a recession or a depression or a slump. But I know I am right in thinking that we will come out of it, and the only question is in what state we come out of it. We will beat this recession more speedily, and emerge in far better shape, if we make sure we put people to work in projects that boost the long-term competitiveness of the country.

That means investing in the things that can radically improve the transport, attractiveness and general liveability of the capital city, the motor of the British economy. We may be in a hole, but the lesson of history is that tunnels and bridges and dams can bring jobs and growth.

This is one of those rare moments when the sound advice to someone in a hole - especially a hole as big as Crossrail - is that they should keep digging. It would be madness not to.

Comments

[mike gee]

London is not England. The west country in general and South Wales in particular need the financial injection of jobs that a large project would bring. The country as a whole needs more generating capacity. The world needs green energy.
Now is the time to start the Severn tidal barage, renewable energy providing up to 15% of the UKs needs. It meets the criteira laid out above. It would be a world leading project and it would go some way to help put this ailing nation back on the road to recovery.

[george du maurier]

The last true national project was the Channel Tunnel. There can hardly be a town in the UK that didn't have connections to employees on that job. The money filtered back and was spent locally throughout the UK.
Partisan nonsense about where a project should be sited (I would always think where it was of most use would be best) merely deflects from the project itself - wherever it may be.

[N Breeze]

He does seem to be right. As do the comments posted above. There are surely largescale projects the nation could undertake that would save money, create jobs etc. in the long-term.

[Mike]

Boris is spot on again. Perhaps people should read history a little more and note that the hoover dam in America was built as a government project to try and help the economy during the depression. That project gave work for thousands over a few years and cross rail could help Britain in the same way. Common sense dictates that its far more productive & rationale to create large worthwhile projects like these than just add more people to the benefits system. In fact, we should be cutting back existing benefits to the scroungers & workshy and offer them work in these sorts of projects.

[terry sullivan]

stop spending now. postpone crossrail. scale down olympics and use existing venues thru out uk. stop all TFL projects--they are hopeless.

then stop id cards nhs computer sack all consultants leeching off public sector

[Steve Walsh]

Mike may be right that the South West needs jobs. However, he needs to recognise that London and the South East has kept his rural backwater afloat forthe past 20 years, and if it were to become uncompetitive the effect would be damaging to the whole of the UK. Infrastructure spending is essential to keep our competitive edge; Crossrail and a new airport should be just the start

[James]

If Gordon had actually been prudent rather than just talking about it we could have the money to fund these big projects to kickstart growth Japan spent huge sums during its deflation period to keep the country afloat they had saved and it still was not easy. We already have a few projects in London to be getting on with so it would be nice to see a few aroung the country but dont expect much private finance for a while.

[william thomson]

Boris will get some thing right one day I just hope it's before I die!

[Richard]

London only keeps the rest of the country afloat because everything is located there.

For example, what prisoners eat in Strangeways prison in Manchester, is decided by a man sitting 250 m from the House of Commons. Time to move all the civil service jobs out of London which would solve the real problems of London (too many people in too small an area making accomodation unaffordable and transport overcrowded).

[David Farmer]

This principle is sound and in fact if the euro tunnel link extended to stranrea with stops at Rugby and Manchester you would instantly reduce the traffic nationally as well as round London if you then put a peak time toll at strategic points on our motorway system this too would cure congestion. Keep us moving and keep us working and yes it is right to believe we will come out of the ressesion sooner and unscathed! Keep up the good work Boris!!

[Nigel]

Re. a poster above, London is the dominant city in population, culture and economic terms. Transport and infrastructure in London is creaking under the weight of the number of people there. Moving a few civil servants to other cities will do little to change that.

No one should be surprised that Boris wants money spent in London - he is London's mayor after all. But ultimately it's for the government to decide if and where in the country something should be built for the sake of Britain's economy.

[jon]

What a great idea,
why there are no large scale construction projects currently going on in London. What a shame we dont have a project like ...... say the olympics at the moment!

Prehaps something outside of construction would be a good answer if they really want to create jobs.
This would only lead to a shortage of certain skills in London and an increase in the cost of materials, thereby causing an overspend

[Dave]

Boris could not be more right. In times of economic slowdown it is essential that the government spends, employs and ensures that we are in the best possible position when the economy turns round.
Apologies to non-Londoners that there aren't more Boris to go round.

[Dudley]

Big Projects - We have a number of huge projects on the go in the UK at the moment for the oil and gas sectors around the world. The manufacturing may not be all done in the UK, but the project management teams are certainly based in the UK and keeping thousands of contractors in work.
The six nuclear powerstations that are to be built, will also create a tremondous amount of work around the country, its just a pity that we killed off our nuclear plans in 1985 and most of the people who have the knowledge to build them have now retired, this means the UK will see a huge influx of foreign experts...

[Nilsey105]

Boris i agree Keynsian economics are as valid now as they were in the 30s/40s of the 20th century. However your narrow view of the world is typical of the tory policy of the past.
London mayor you maybe and that city is i am sure your main concern,but here am i listening to, Shostokovich, Dawn of Humanity, and considering the whole of mankind and the whole of the UK.
What we need is an attempt to enhance the life opportunities of those typical kids in london and the inner city areas of other citys. The kids who at present walk the streets day and night cos they have nothing better to do.
We need to make apprenticeships available to and for them.
So what better way to kick start the economy than by being bold and showing the world what you can really do besides being the funny man of the tory party.
London and the whole of the UK requires a programme of building social housing. This will solve the housing shortage, a shortage that due to lack of cost and unavailablity of mortgages is going to create a situation of undesireable social unrest.
Just think how many jobs we can create if you go for a policy such as i am suggesting. Not jobs just building the houses but jobs for those in manufacturing who have to make all those things people require to make a house a unique home of their own.
The Keynsian multiplyer works extremely well. Get it sorted. Now.

[Alan Gooch]

Is anyone really expecting a Depression, i.e. a decline of 10% in GDP over a long period, say 5-10 years?. I don't think so. Maybe a recession, i.e. a decline in GDP of 1-2% over 2-3 years is more likely. So, are large scale, long term capital projects like crossrail, the severn barage, nuclear power , i.e. classic Keynsian solutions to Depression, however necessary to our long term prosperity, really relevant to our short/medium term problems? If we are going to contemplate a construction led recovery, it has got to be in activities which generate a sufficiently powerful multiplier effect, achievable within 2-3 years. It's just a pity that we have no money in the kitty to pay for these things. We've already potentially doubled our national debt to £700 billion, attempting to bail out our credit and payments system. Too much more could make us a hostage to long term inflationary fortune. As always, it's a delicate balance.

[Dave in Notts]

London equals England, England equals London, eh Boris?

North of Watford, there exists nothing other than a stretch of motorway called the M1 which goes to Scotland, right?

Forget Crossrail, build new motorways and rail lines over the whole country. Benefit claimants to work on these projects or their money stopped. Dams, hydroelectric projects, windfarms, nuclear power stations etc.

It's a shame that Britain has revolved around the City of London-based pimps, spivs and money-pushers and has neglected the REAL skills which shape the world: Engineering.

[Drew]

You cannot spend your way out of this recession......not unless National Debt is under control. And I'm afraid that with the likely close to £100billion total of borrowing Gordon Brown has racked up by the end of this year, these (Labour voting?) Keynsian theory dreamboaters on here had better come up with a different solution - because 'spend our way out of a depression' is more like out of commission.

Facts are facts guys - Brown IS NOT a hero and he has totally screwed this country up big-time. You cannot take personal credit for boom - yes and very much GLOBAL boom - and then casually try to blame the rest of the world when the bubble burst. Brown was riding the same train and Cameron CORRRECTLY summed it up by saying that "nothing was put by for a rainy day"..... and thus the Treasury has had to panic borrow it's way out of the crisis and laden the country with massive debt; if Brown had had half a grain of intelligence there would have been money put by as a security for this scenario.

I would trust Brown with my kids pocket money, let alone the running of this country.

This Labour Government are perhaps the most incompetant administration in 50 years.

The truth will out......and you'll see that anyone intending voting for Labour next time needs their head seeing to!!

[Jamaica]

I wonder if this Mathematicle setout below in what the Politicle Parties have been using on us decent hard working British Public for many years (not least Gordon Brown and his cronies over the last 12 years,) as below:-
Here is a little something someone sent me that is indisputable mathematical logic..

This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint...it goes like this:

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Well here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A -R -D-W-O -R -K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And

K -N -O -W-L -E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But ,

A-T -T -I -T -U -D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,

B -U -L -L -S -H-I -T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far **** kissing

Will take you.

A-S -S -K -I -S-S -I -N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%
So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty, that:- While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, its the Bullshit and **** kissing that will put you over the top.

[Beauty]

From abroad;

London's mayor, Boris Johnson is well-known for his self-deprecating humour and his reputation for gaffes and blunders but his thinking on the way out of the mess should be applauded for its boldness. What is the worst case scenario out of this economic crisis? What is there to fear? Is it not time to turn around the problem by bringing in a different view?

How about replicating his thinking worldwide and they can keep the Nobel! "We may be in a hole, but the lesson of history is that tunnels and bridges and dams can bring jobs and growth" are words of wisdom. The world need more roads and energy. Those are big people programs that will keep generations in work.

Why do we continue to worship the Forbes Billionaires that seemed to have accumulated their wealth on the back of others? While banks are being nationalized, why not just re-nationalize everything? What is stopping us. People forgot that they voted for those bodies now lording it over the rest of us.

Hard work includes education since these big projects demand knowledge and I hope those of you that live on the small shires get it. The rest of us that live on the bigger part of the planet see things differently from out of your realm and the idea from Boris is a positive next step into the future.

[Graeme]

Strange (or knowing Londoners, maybe not...) how little attention was paid to a Channel 4 investigation last year into how the levels of public spending received by each part of the UK related to its needs in terms of poverty, health issues etc. According to this Scotland receives 101% - i.e. 1% more than its problems justify - but way out in front, by a country (city?) mile was London at 174%.

How many other cities have areas like Stratford which need 'regeneration'? - answer: almost every city in the land. Yet how many are having £9.3 billion thrown at them?? And as for the City being the "engine of the economy"....... oh lord, I'd die laughing if it wasn't for the billions of taxpayers money being spent to rescue the bankers (rhyming slang) from their own greed and stupidity.

London is the most mollycoddled, overspent part of the country, and although Boris is doing a fine job for his constituents by pleading for even more ridiculous public spending in the capital, it's the job of the rest of us to say "sorry mate, you've already had far more than your fair share".

[Bryan Harris]

I'd say yes.... but with reservations - No government has ever spent its way out of recession by printing currency - if this were to be done with hard cash...and not on credit, the let's go for it ... but also, let's do it as part of a balanced budget, with real money that London has - we've had enough of labour mortgaging our future for little gain... let's not go down that road, please.

[Scratchy]

In response to Mike Gee.How about buiding Tidal Pools(Electric Generator's) all around the country (possibly as well as the barrage? - although you must remember that this wouldn't be operational until 2020 if started being built now).I'm sure the Tidal Pool suggestion would have far better payback time.There is one being planned in Swansea Bay at present (& has Green lobby backing it as well)