Can the UK’s infrastructure strategy survive political upheaval?

Try as you might, you can’t take the politics out of infrastructure.

Following May’s local election results and Andy Burnham’s victory in last week’s Makerfield by-election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has this morning announced his departure.

Infrastructure relies on many things: time, stability, confidence. As we wait to confirm the new prime minister and their ministerial team, the ongoing uncertainty poses a risk to the UK’s delivery ambitions.

Of course, this is an inevitable consequence of living in a democracy. Infrastructure and political timelines rarely align. But you can plan for uncertainty through long-term strategies and clear project pipelines.

So, as the UK’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy celebrates its first birthday, it also faces its first real test. Can it provide policy certainty in the face of political upheaval?

One year in, what has the strategy achieved?

Published in June 2025, the strategy offered industry and investors alike the certainty they’d long asked for.

It provided a long-term view of £725bn worth of projects and programmes over the coming decade.

It committed to developing a dynamic infrastructure pipeline, which followed two months later and received an important update in March 2026, including new workforce analysis.

It had a clear focus on maintaining existing infrastructure and set out priorities to improve vital social infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and prisons.

But the real achievement of the strategy was its unifying vision. It offered a clear picture of how to plan, prioritise, and deliver infrastructure that policymakers and industry could get behind.

This consensus is the key factor in making strategies that outlast political cycles. While enduring support is never guaranteed, a clear vision is the first step to achieving it.

Some clarity was still lacking

This isn’t to say that there weren’t gaps.

While there was a chapter on the role of private finance, it needed more detail on how exactly the government will mobilise and manage it.

The strategy also lacked measurable targets against which the current and future governments can benchmark performance.

But, while the strategy wasn’t perfect, it offered a credible foundation that further iterations can build on.

Now isn’t the time to go back to square one

Whoever leads the government come the autumn, they should stay the course.

Discussion in the infrastructure sector has now moved from strategy to delivery. The ICE is holding conversations with policymakers and industry leaders on skills, consenting and regulatory reform, culture, capacity, and more.

While the vision is vital, success hinges on execution. The last thing the UK needs is a return to questions we’ve already answered.

Political leaders come and go. Whoever holds the keys to Number 10, the ICE will work with and them and their teams to deliver the infrastructure the country needs.

The infrastructure systems we build today will still serve society decades, perhaps even centuries, from now.

A good strategy is vital – and we hope the UK’s will celebrate many more birthdays to come.