On the wrong track: An analysis of the autumn statement announcements on transport infrastructure

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Much was made in the chancellor's autumn statement of how every region of England will benefit from increased infrastructure spending, with the chancellor listing a host of road and rail projects in the North of England as part of his speech. In order to assess these claims, IPPR North has analysed the data detailing the projects to be brought forward as part of the national infrastructure pipeline.

Behind the rhetoric of rebalancing, our analysis reveals a very different picture and a series of regional disparities that are, at a simple level, unfair. But they also defy the economic logic upon which they are supposedly based. While the government is right to focus on infrastructure investment, a greater proportion of its investment needs to be channelled to so-called 'lagging regions' in order to get the UK economy firing on all cylinders.

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