Boris the Builder promises a spree, but local lockdown casts a pall

Hans van LeeuwenEurope correspondent

Jun 30, 2020 – 9.33pm

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London | Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to get the pandemic-enfeebled British economy moving again with a £5 billion ($9 billion) "build, build, build" infrastructure program, in an announcement overshadowed by his move to plunge a large town back into full lockdown.

Mr Johnson travelled to the hard-hit West Midlands region, where his Conservative Party won a swag of marginal seats at the December 2019 election, to unveil plans to fast-track already planned investment in hospital maintenance, road upgrades, school buildings, public works, tree-planting and local transport.

Hans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London.