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I seem to be in another world from that of the present government. Maybe this will help.

According to the Daily Telegraph:

The Chancellor’s £9.9bn of fiscal headroom left in her Spring Statement will be wiped out if the Bill is defeated in a Commons vote on Tuesday. (today)

The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the cumulative saving of the changes to both incapacity benefits and disability benefits will total £13.7bn by 2029-30. Of that, some £9.2bn would stem from cuts to personal independence payments, known as Pip.

According to ChatGPT:

Every year, the UK spends approximately £50 billion on transport: roughly £31 billion subsidising public transport (mostly rail) and another £18–20 billion on maintaining and expanding roads. In contrast, the NHS now costs over £180 billion annually.

What does this say about our priorities? In truth, it reflects an economy still wedded to the idea of long-distance movement – daily commuting, cross-country freight, massive infrastructure projects designed to tie the nation together. But the ground beneath this model is shifting. The shrinking economy, rising energy costs, ageing populations, and the climate crisis all point toward a future where people travel less, and more of life happens locally.

If we break it down, perhaps £35–40 billion of the £50 billion transport budget is allocated to sustaining long-distance networks – including national rail, trunk roads, high-speed projects, and intercity bus corridors. Only about £10–15 billion truly supports local transport: the buses, small roads, footpaths, cycle lanes, and concessionary travel schemes that keep communities connected.

Localism is the practical response to the end of cheap fossil-fuelled mobility. Rather than building trunk and primary roads, funded by the State, and subsidising national rail systems, spending would be focused on neighbourhood bus routes, maintaining village roads, improving walking infrastructure, and ensuring every town has safe paths to schools and shops.

In short, we could spend less on moving people further, and more on making life easier closer to home. The benefits would flow not just to those who travel less, but to society as a whole: more resilient communities, reduced emissions, and stronger local economies.

The challenge now shouldn’t be on building giant rail projects. It’s how to spend that money where it matters – on the doorsteps and streets where real life happens.