Labour would put Business, Innovation and Skills in charge of infrastructure planning

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has announced a new infrastructure planning strategy, with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in charge in order to "dynamically grow our economy".

McDonnell said that Labour was committed to tackling the deficit, but would achieve this not by cutting, but by "strategically investing in the key industries and sectors that will deliver the sustainable long-term economic growth this country needs... economic growth that will reach all sections, all regions, and all nations of our country" re-balancing the economy.

BIS would oversee this public investment to support growth as a "powerful economic development department". This would extend the increased role the coalition Government gave to BIS in infrastructure planning, through the local enterprise partnerships.

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