Mr Johnson is hyping up small amounts of spending on buildings for schools and hospitals. But what about teachers and teaching assistants?
Our experience in Birmingham is that big construction projects do not "trickle down," and they certainly do not generate funds for good services. The Prime Minister seems utterly unaware that many schools are struggling to balance their budgets and are laying off teaching assistants.
Similarly, we have seen Labour Birmingham City Council siphon money from social services to support its big spending projects. Just the same, the Tory New Deal seems intended to support private profit rather than investment in good quality training and jobs.