Isn't it the same with most things with the government
They seem to prefer to just deal with a major problem/emergency when it happens than try and head it off but doing this they'd have to admit there is a potential problem in the first place
Yup, because in 4 years, or maybe 8, it won't be thier problem any more, and they can use it as a stick to beat the incomming administration with.
Investing multiple billions to correct a systemic long term issue makes it look like you are spending too much public money, so they just put a sticky plaster on it, take a few back-handers/brown envelopes on the way, and kick the time-bomb down the road. This is the way.
What we really need is structural reform in government, for example maybe a cross party 'sub-government' tasked with delivering long term infrastucure projects, for things like energy independance and NHS which are decades long projects, no govenment de-jour is gonna want to make that financial commitment, only for it to be ripped up by the next new government in a point scoring excercise.
I'm not saying my idea is the best solution, but the short-termism and short sightedness of what are essentially transient governments - as is the current sysem in the UK, is not conductive to long term national improvement plans.
How many transport ministers have we had in the last ten years? each with thier own vision/plan which isn't compatible with the previous one? so they rip up the roadmap and make a new one, only for that to be ripped up again on the next rotation...and thats just the tory ones, lol!
