Even if it does cost £155 billion, the government will get a very large amount of that back.The biggest part of that cost will be the wages of the workers building it, and the staff who work for the suppliers providing the materials. They will pay tax and NI on tose wages, and they will buy things and give more back back as VAT. Just the tax and NI (including the employers contribution) will be getting on for half of the wages. They will pay duty on the fuel they use to get to work. They will spend some of it on beer and wine, and pay duty on that.As well as the workers, the companies supplying materials and doing the construction will pay duty on fuel for their vehicles, business rates on their premises, and there will be corporation tax on profits that they make. The government will get more back there.The true costs of building it are a lot less than the headline figures thrown out by those who are against it.There will be long term benefits from building it as well. They could have got 90% of the benefits by building it for 150mph rather than 225mph, and at a much lower cost. That's where our politicians liking for grand projects is at fault though.
Al Webber ● 1371d