Britain’s investment crisis is self-inflicted
Austerity, Brexit uncertainty and failed infrastructure delivery have left the UK bottom of the G7
Britain’s economic malaise isn’t a mystery or a short-term wobble.
As London Business School's Professor Richard Portes made clear on Times Radio Breakfast (31 December), the country's position at the bottom of the G7 investment league is the cumulative result of nearly two decades of self-inflicted damage: post-2008 austerity hollowing out public investment, Brexit injecting permanent uncertainty into trade and capital flows, and relentless policy churn eroding private-sector confidence.
Other countries manage political instability while still building railways, housing and skills; the UK 'manages' to talk about these issues, over-regulates them, and then fails to deliver.
Until the UK treats infrastructure, housing and workforce development as national economic foundations rather than political announcements, investment will remain scarce and growth anaemic.