Planning and Growth

A quick comment on the government's schemes to boost the economy through reforming the planning system.  These are still to change as the government is pretty much rudderless, but the whole basis of the policy seems misguided.

The approach appears to be that there is a set of pointless government rules holding back the animal spirits of the economy.  Leaving aside the extra bureaucracy that the government is creating through the Brexit process, there are generally reasons for the rules regimes.  People in the UK simply don't want workers' rights, environmental standards and so cut. In many areas, such as animal welfare, they probably want them raised.  The whole virus experience has probably made the UK more conscious of the need for public health. The ignored issues of climate change need planners to impose systems to reduce carbon emissions in a way that will not happen at the required pace through the market.

The government ignores all this.  Instead it seems to aspire to a free for all to appease property developers, especially those who Donate to the Tory Party.

Future government's of any stripe will have to spend a huge amount of effort clearing up the mess that Mr Johnson leaves in his wake.