The publication of the UK’s first 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy marks a vital opportunity to reset the way the country plans, prioritises, and delivers infrastructure. Inconsistent infrastructure policy and short-termism have created an environment marked by political instability and unclear decision-making.
The absence of an overarching strategy has led to poor visibility of future project pipelines, leaving investors in infrastructure unsure about what opportunities will materialise. At the same time, infrastructure delivery is becoming increasingly reliant on international private capital. To secure this investment, the UK must compete with countries that are moving swiftly to offer clearer strategies, stable policy environments, and more attractive conditions for long-term investors.
Investors are consistently calling for more certainty and clarity. That means stable policy, consistent regulation, and a shared strategic direction across departments. Responsibilities for energy, transport, water, and digital infrastructure span multiple ministries, leading to siloed policy decisions rather than a joined-up coherent approach to infrastructure across government.
Over recent years, GIIA has advocated for exactly this: a single strategy that gives clarity to investors and alignment across government. Delivering coordination, engagement, and pipeline visibility is key to creating the stable environment investors need to commit for the long-term. The test of the forthcoming strategy will be whether it meets these conditions as a practical framework that endures political cycles and accelerates investment where it’s most needed.
Over the past five years, GIIA has consistently highlighted the structural gaps that a long-term strategy must address. From our 2020 submission to the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) Baseline Report to our 2023 Investing in the Future paper, we have made the case for greater policy predictability, pipeline visibility, and cross-departmental alignment.
We’ve warned against the risks of fragmentation, called for smarter, pro-investment regulation, and urged successive governments to provide a unified framework that can unlock private capital at scale. Through ministerial roundtables, public-facing advocacy, and direct engagement across the political spectrum, we’ve helped shape the thinking behind this strategy and made clear what investors need for it to succeed.
GIIA is encouraged that the government recognises these conditions for success. Our close work with bodies like the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) has positioned GIIA as a leading advocate for ensuring investor perspectives help shape the forthcoming strategy. We hope to see the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy provide long-term clarity on policy goals, integrate efforts across Whitehall, and create a stable regulatory and investment environment. This strategy should be joined-up in every sense, providing government departments and sectors with a consistent, clear pipeline and bridging the gap between public ambition and the private capital required to achieve it.
This is a pivotal moment for the future of UK infrastructure. With other countries moving quickly to attract long-term capital, the UK must act decisively to stay competitive. GIIA and its members stand ready to support a long-term strategy that learns from past missteps and instils confidence through consistency, coordination and clear direction. For the UK to unlock the patient capital needed to build world-class infrastructure and foster a sustainable future, government must ensure that the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy works as a credible, coherent strategy that endures.