A Nation of Builders: Why Britain Must Rekindle Its Creative Ambition
Dr Adam North puts forward the case for rebuilding Britain.
I’m always amazed when I think about the collective effort that went into building Manchester’s canals, and it had me wondering why we seemingly can’t embark on similarly ambitious projects today?
Across our history, Britain has been a nation of makers. We dug canals that transformed trade, built railways that connected towns and cities, and designed machinery that powered the Industrial Revolution. In Manchester, mills and workshops once hummed with innovation, producing goods that travelled the globe. Yet in recent decades, our national output has tilted away from making and building, and towards importing and consuming. The result is an economy increasingly vulnerable to global shocks, and a society that risks losing touch with the skills, pride, and resilience that come from creating the world around us.
The Consequences of Forgetting How to Build
When a country stops building, it loses more than factories and cranes - it loses momentum. The decline of our manufacturing base has coincided with slower productivity growth, weaker wage progression, and an overreliance on the service sector. Housing shortages - driven in part by complex planning laws and a lack of skilled labour - push up costs and reduce social mobility. Infrastructure projects, from HS2 to clean energy, face chronic delays or cancellation.
This is a question of identity and ambition. A culture of building fosters problem-solving, optimism, and the confidence to tackle big challenges. Without it, we risk becoming passive spectators in a rapidly changing world.
The Global Context
Other nations are rediscovering the value of building. The US has launched major initiatives to re-shore manufacturing and upgrade infrastructure with the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act. Germany’s engineering sector remains a pillar of its economic strength. In Asia, countries like South Korea and China are making strategic investments in high-tech industries and green energy production. We might not have the same resources available to us now, but if Britain continues to hesitate on raising funds through wealth taxes, we risk being left behind - not just economically, but technologically and strategically.
Rebuilding the Builder’s Mindset
Becoming a nation of builders again will require three fundamental shifts:
Invest in Skills and Trades.
We must treat vocational education and apprenticeships with the same prestige as university degrees. From carpenters to software engineers, welders to battery chemists, the next generation of builders will need both traditional craftsmanship and advanced technical skills.Streamline and Modernise Housing.
There needs to be innovative solutions to improving the housing crisis that increases the speed in delivery of housing, quality of infrastructure, and availability of renewable energy projects. Reforming these systems is essential if we want to see tangible progress within years, not decades.Champion a Culture of Making.
Innovation should be a national mission, not just a corporate ambition. Public procurement can favour British-made products, community projects can encourage local construction, and media can celebrate the craft, ingenuity, and determination of those who build. This should not be left the private sector, but part of an effective political vision.
The Moral Case for Building
At its heart, building is about hope and vision. It’s about believing that the future can be better than the present and taking concrete steps to make that happen. Every bridge, every school, every wind turbine is a statement of intent: that we are not content to drift but determined to shape our world.
If we want a Britain that is prosperous, confident, and resilient, we must rediscover the spirit that built our canals, our factories, and our cities. We must become, once again, a nation of builders.
