In the run-up to the last election, and on taking office with a whopping majority, the UK Prime Minister and Chancellor were full of positive messages about the vital role for private investment in kick starting the UK economy and stimulating jobs and productivity. It was a vision that the business community welcomed, along with the promise of some much-needed political stability.   

As the global voice for infrastructure investors, we at GIIA responded positively, calling for policy clarity, leadership and joined-up government thinking to put the UK back on track, and to stimulate the hundreds of billions of pounds needed to fix the UK’s critical national infrastructure.    

That promised political stability has now been shown to be much more fragile than anticipated, undermining investor confidence in the UK in the process.  And there are other worrying signs that the government is sending contradictory signals to investors. Flagship policy announcements are becoming routinely undermined by subsequent decisions, suggesting a lack of coherence in the pursuit of its growth agenda.  

The positive news on Auction Round 7, attracting record levels of investment in offshore wind, has been immediately followed by the decision to retrospectively amend the Renewable Obligation scheme. Moving the goalposts by shifting the inflationary index from RPI to CPI four years earlier than planned, and effectively breaking the contract with operators, is a huge own goal for attracting long-term investors to the UK.   

Other examples include in aviation, where policy support for capacity enhancements at airports are being undermined by crippling increases to business rates; and in water, where the positive messages around a regulatory reset risk being undermined by concerns over the speed of implementation of the new regime.    

These sectors should be at the heart of national and regional economic growth strategies, but there is no doubt that the government’s focus has shifted away from long-term growth to short term affordability and fiscal black holes.  The problem is this risks stifling the very investment that provides the best chance of getting the economy back on track. 

On publication of its 10-year infrastructure strategy in June 2025, we argued that the government would need to be courageous in its approach to attracting domestic and international investors. Yet increasingly, politicians on all sides seem to tread on eggshells when it comes to talking about private investment.  Should they be so nervous?  

A survey conducted for GIIA by Freshwater Strategy indicates that the silent majority of Britons are much more open-minded than politicians may think. When asked who is best placed to deliver the infrastructure the UK needs, 59 per cent of respondents believe the private sector is capable of doing so more efficiently than government. While the same proportion – 59 per cent – think the public sector is less capable.   

This demonstrates that the role of private sector innovation and competition in developing modern, resilient infrastructure is well understood. What’s more, Britons feel that the country is physically tired. While Londoners remain relatively upbeat, with 73 per cent satisfied with their infrastructure - a testament to what sustained capital injection can achieve - the majority of the country is frustrated. Because beyond the M25, satisfaction plummets.  

A massive 72 per cent agree we need to invest more. And they recognise the fiscal straitjacket we are in. They don’t want taxes rising yet further.  

Consequently, more than six in ten voters agree that allowing private companies to invest more would reduce pressure on struggling public services. They understand the trade-off: if private capital builds resilient energy networks and grid capacity, the state can focus its limited resources on public services like the NHS and schools.   

Water and sewerage emerge as the public’s number one priority for investment (44 per cent), ranking even higher than roads. Indeed, the public is also willing to support private companies investing more in water if it means cleaner rivers and less sewage (72 per cent).  

The biggest fear (66 per cent) is that without greater private sector investment, the UK risks falling behind. In a world where the US and EU are aggressively courting private capital with streamlined planning and tax incentives, the UK cannot afford to hang a ‘closed’ sign in the shop window.   

For investors, the message from this research is reassuring. The negative rhetoric from the fringes does not represent the centre ground of British opinion.  

Britons are saying: let the private sector do what it does best. They want their taxes spent on public services, while trusting the private sector to modernise the country’s infrastructure hardware. The government should heed this vote of confidence in private investment and recommit itself to the policies that will unleash it. 

Read the full breakdown of our official survey results here.