I noticed the fine new railway, aka HS2, on 12th January 2012 and 4th December 2011 in the other place and there continue to be rumbles in the Guardian about what a fearful waste of money it all is. Plus, that august outfit, the National Audit Office has got in on the act.
So it is clearly time to share my spiffing idea. If we are really determined on some large chunk of national infrastructure, why don't we build a shiny new nuclear power station or two? Government policies are far too flabby for the private sector to want to risk its dosh on such a venture, so why doesn't government build the things instead? Fill the gap left by the sometimes wonder working forces of the market?
Such a project would have some of the defects of the other one, in particular it would put a lot of money into the pockets of big contractors and big consultants. But at least there is a clear need for the product and it would divert funds from the vulgarly rich Arab & Russian owners of oil & gas reserves to the rather more respectable, largely Old Commonwealth, owners of uranium reserves. A much needed bit of energy diversification which might help stave off the impending energy crisis for a bit longer.
And if there is any money left from what we would otherwise have chucked at HS2, chuck it at fusion. We might hit that jackpot one day.
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