U.K. Tories Promise Cash Boost for Roads, Buses and Broadband

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K.’s ruling Conservative Party is set to unveil a multi-billion pound funding program to fix holes in the road, boost fiber broadband, and modernize the country’s dwindling bus services, as it pitches for votes in an election.Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid will on Monday commit to spending 25 billion pounds ($30.7 billion)on upgrading key roads outside of London during the next five years. He’ll also promise a National Bus Strategy for England, and 20 million pound funding for on-demand bus services that could compete with taxi apps like Uber Inc.Javid’s announcement will be seen as a pitch to voters ahead of a looming election. It will also be taken as a signal that he is seeking to end a decade of austerity that helped opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn increase his share of the vote in the 2017 snap election. He’ll link the announcement to the government’s pledge to delivering on Brexit, saying the funding will come once the U.K. has left the EU on 31 Oct.Javid will announce the policy at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, England, where Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will also unveil proposals to overhaul the planning system to help accelerate home-building.To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Andrew Davis, Emma Ross-ThomasFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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