New Labour group promises to ‘take on the Nimbys’ over infrastructure building

A new Labour pressure group aiming to “take on the Nimbys” is set to launch on Wednesday.

The Labour Infrastructure Forum (LIF) said it would challenge the Government to “push through the pain” to meet the party’s manifesto commitment to get Britain building again.

Describing itself as a “group of senior policymakers, industry experts and stakeholders from across the Labour movement”, the LIF is backed by former shadow roads minister Bill Esterson and three new Labour MPs – Luke Murphy, Kirsteen Sullivan and Mike Reader.

It is also supported by Blair-era cabinet minister Ruth Kelly, who now chairs Water UK, and Paul Addison, an executive at engineering firm Arup who worked on Labour’s infrastructure review before the election.

Gerry McFall, director of public affairs at consultancy Bradshaw Advisory and the LIF’s director, said the LIF was “committed to supporting the Government” with “evidence-based policy recommendations” to “get the country building again”.

He added: “The Government’s first year is a critical time to lay down a marker for the rest of the Parliament.

“Before it is captured by ‘events’, it must make meaningful progress on its mandate to take on the Nimbys and rebuild our country – from transport to water, energy to housing.

“The LIF will support and challenge them to push through the pain.”

The launch of the LIF follows the creation of another pro-building Labour pressure group, the Labour Growth Group, at the end of July.

More than 50 MPs in the Labour Growth Group, including Mr Esterson, wrote to the Prime Minister shortly after the election urging him to deliver on Labour’s manifesto promise to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this Parliament.