All articles by Mark Leftly – Page 2
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FeaturesHouse of leaks
Never mind fixing the roof while the sun shines – the roof of parliamentary offices Portcullis House has been leaking since it was built 15 years ago
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FeaturesBudget 2016: Box clever
The infrastructure sector may not be expecting much from this year’s Budget, but both George Osborne and Boris Johnson are in contention for the biggest title in the land
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CommentInfrastructure: Bobbing and weaving
Fighting over funding for infrastructure projects has become a key battlefront in the contest to see who succeeds Cameron as Tory leader
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FeaturesUK prisons: Another brick in the wall
When plans were announced to close some of the UK’s worst prisons and build nine new ones focusing on rehabilitation, there was near universal approval. Since then, however, doubts have begun to surface
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CommentPrison building: The story of redemption
Is Michael Gove right to focus on prisoner rehabilitation rather than punishment in his prison building programme?
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CommentBrexit: Apathy rules, OK
Nearly every Conservative says they are undecided. In short, like most of the public, the EU is not a big deal for them
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FeaturesInterview: Tim Farron
Leading the Lib Dems may sound like the worst job in politics following the party’s drubbing in last year’s election, but an out-of-sorts Labour sees Tim Farron adopt the role at a time of opportunity
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FeaturesNormal service resumed?
Following a turbulent 12 months of engineering delays, in-fighting and inadequate planning, Network Rail’s fortunes seem to have turned following George Osborne’s increase to capital spending and Sir Peter Hendy’s reconfigured spending programme. So has the company got away with it?
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CommentOsborne and Crossrail: The end of the affair?
Whatever went wrong? I suspect political ambition and calculation have intervened
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FeaturesSpending cuts: Where the axe falls
As the chancellor prepares to unveil the latest Comprehensive Spending Review and Autumn Statement, Building asks where will the cuts be made
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FeaturesCan Corbynomics get Britain building?
As the major influence on Jeremy Corbyn’s economic policy, Richard Murphy has had a lot to talk about over the last few months. But what might the much-trailed people’s QE mean for the construction industry?
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FeaturesNot plane sailing
Labour conference showed the party is currently split into three significant factions
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CommentCorbyn’s big idea
Could the Labour leader’s ‘people’s quantitative easing’ kick start investment in housing and sustainable energy projects?
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FeaturesConference season: Get the parties started
What do the four main parties have to say on construction?
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FeaturesSchool places: Do the math
The Department for Education is scratching its head over how to meet the demand for 25% more school places at a time of rising construction inflation and a dearth of available urban land
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CommentWhere’s the opposition?
Labour has collapsed into navel-gazing over its leadership contest. But the government must be held to account
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FeaturesNetwork fail?
Network Rail is a huge client for the UK construction industry but with the Department for Transport increasingly frustrated by engineering overruns, can chief executive Mark Carne safeguard the company’s future?
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FeaturesBudget preview: Ace up Osborne's sleeve?
Freed from the shackles of coalition government, chancellor George Osborne will be outlining some quite different policies and priorities when he presents his emergency Budget next week
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CommentA political hot potato
Construction firms may want to think twice about getting involved in £6bn Palace of Westminster job
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FeaturesInside Westminster: Bringing the house down
Costs are being estimated for the critical repair job needed to the Houses of Parliament - with some suggesting the Palace of Westminster has just 20 years before it’s unusable