An article in today's Financial Times refers to "...corporate oligarchies, poor governance and a lack of focus on productivity, innovation and global competitiveness".
The article was not, however, referring to major parts of the British economy and public services - although it might have been - but to "countries in Latin America and elsewhere" unable to rise "to the ranks of the developed nations" due to the above problems. However, we in the UK should pay heed to these and related issues.
Thus whilst some of measures announced by the British Government under the umbrella of "Building Britain's Future", including a re-allocation of funds withing the Homes and Communities Agency to enable the construction of more "social" housing, are to be welcomed, present and future administrations must fully acknowledge underlying structural problems.
The founding Chairman of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, Sir Stuart Lipton - himself a highly successful property developer - has been one of the most perceptive observers of the strengths and, equally important, structural weaknesses of the British house-building and construction sectors.
These structural weaknesses have been thrown into relief by the current economic cycle and need to be rectified as a matter of urgency in the interests of "Building Britain's Future". However, there is little indication as yet that either the present Government or the leadership of the other main political parties is up to this task.
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