I generally agree with Ed Conway’s Cover Story on the UK economy (16 October), but I disagree with him when he criticises government investment in net zero. Surely cutting this would be even more of the same “MoneySavingExpert economy” he derides.
I would use a different expression to describe our economy: the “shoestring economy”, whereby a lack of investment leads to the delivery of everything on the cheap in the short term. This creates longer-term costs that force governments to cut short-term spending even further. We must invest in things like net zero, so that years from now, we reap the cost-saving benefits of cheap, renewable electricity. This will not only benefit consumers but also attract the businesses and industries of the future.
At your services
Subscribe to the New Statesman and save 40% for 1 year!
