CECA has joined 27 other leading industry organisations in calling for the new UK Prime Minister to ‘re-commit’ to existing infrastructure plans.
The call follows the resignation of the current UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who announced he would be stepping down as soon as his party selects a replacement.
The open letter emphasises that infrastructure is key to economic growth, national security, and meeting the climate challenge.
The industry leaders urge Sir Keir’s replacement to stay the course on the Labour Government’s infrastructure ambitions, which have been set out in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and £725 billion infrastructure pipeline, setting out investments from public and private funding over the next decade.
CECA has long campaigned for the certainty our members need to plan, invest, and deliver the vital infrastructure our nation relies upon.
We will be working to ensure that once a new occupant of 10 Downing Street is selected and his or her cabinet selected, this message is heard loud and clear at all levels of Government. You can read the open letter in full below:
Why we must stay the course with infrastructure plans
“Infrastructure investment is key to meeting many of the UK’s challenges.
It helps create jobs, connects people to employment and education, boosts regional prosperity, helps enhance our environment, and will improve energy security and affordability. It is also critical that the UK’s infrastructure is adapted for our changing climate.
Investing in social and economic infrastructure also helps grow our economy.
Evidence consistently shows infrastructure investment can deliver strong, long-term benefits that significantly exceed the initial cost. Take the Elizabeth Line – one government estimate said it provided a £42bn boost to the economy, a significant return on the £19bn investment.
But infrastructure relies on many things: time, confidence, and stability.
Ongoing political uncertainty poses a risk to delivery and, soon, we will welcome our seventh Prime Minister in ten years.
As leaders from across the built environment, we urge the new Prime Minister to re-commit to current infrastructure plans, and speed up reforms designed to accelerate project delivery.
The 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, just a year old, gives industry and investors alike the certainty they long asked for.
Alongside the Infrastructure Pipeline, it provides a long-term view of £725bn worth of projects and programmes over the coming decade.
But the real achievement of the strategy is its unifying vision. It offers a clear picture of how to plan, prioritise, and deliver infrastructure that policymakers and industry support.
Now is not the time to rip up plans and go back to square one. The sector will support the incoming government, but we need to stay focused on turning strategy into delivery: executing existing plans, building capacity, and fulfilling planned regulatory reforms.
The infrastructure systems we build today will still serve society for decades, perhaps even centuries, from now.
We have the knowledge to deliver the transformational infrastructure the UK needs. What we require now is the political consistency to see it through.”
Signed
- Dr Janet Young CBE, director general, Institution of Civil Engineers
- Milda Manomaityte, chief executive, Association for Consultancy (ACE Group)
- Richard Whitehead, chief executive – Europe and India, AECOM
- Heather Polinsky, global CEO, Arcadis NV
- Chris Ball, president, United Kingdom and Ireland, AtkinsRealis
- Darren James, CEO, Aureos
- Philip Hoare, group chief executive, Balfour Beatty
- Suzannah Nichol OBE, chief executive, Build UK
- Dr Victoria Hills, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Building
- Sue Percy CBE, chief executive, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
- Ben Goodwin, director of policy and public affairs, Civil Engineering Contractors Association
- Rain Newton-Smith, CEO, Confederation of British Industry
- Alex Vaughan, chief executive officer, Costain
- Ed Almond, chief executive and secretary, Institution of Engineering and Technology
- Jo Passingham, interim chief executive, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Richard Sanderson, executive vice president and general manager, Europe and UK, Jacobs
- Stuart Togwell, chief executive, Kier Group
- Mark Reynolds CBE, executive chairman, Mace Construct and co-chair, Construction Leadership Council
- James Harris, executive chair, Mott MacDonald
- Neil Sansbury, managing director, Ramboll UK & Ireland
- John Wilkinson, COO UK and Ireland, Royal BAM Group
- Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, chief executive officer, Royal Institute of British Architects
- Justin Young, chief executive officer, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
- Rachel Fisher, chief executive, Royal Town Planning Institute
- Katy Dowding, president and CEO, Skanska UK
- Vincent Clancy, chief executive officer, Turner & Townsend
- Paul Reilly, president and managing director, WSP UK&I