The great projects fallacy

What if Britain’s grand plans are holding back the growth they promise? From HS2 to net zero 2030 and 1.5 million new homes, ambitious pledges have been built on optimistic assumptions that subsequently become costly commitments, difficult to deliver and even harder to abandon. But the price is more than money spent. What happens to the roads, infrastructure and everyday maintenance crowded out by the next big project? Is it time to put aside the appeal of sweeping targets and ask whether lasting prosperity starts with something less dramatic: getting the basics right?