My local library is permanently closed due to the discovery of dangerous ‘RAAC’ concrete in the building. This typifies the plight of libraries across the country. Our library system has been neglected and underfunded for decades. But the current government’s predilection for economic growth could be a good sign. Couldn’t it? Don’t hold your breath!

Six months into a new government and I find myself asking the same question I’ve asked of every government in my lifetime. Which is; are they on the make, or just plain stupid? This one say their priority is economic growth – on the face of it, not so unreasonable, because growth sounds positive, doesn’t it? You want your children to grow, you want your savings to grow, you want growth in your vegetable patch. But if you’re unfortunate enough to have a tumour..?

There are three problems with this government’s almost religious fervour for growth. The first is a matter of priority. The Chancellor has said that growth is more of a priority than net zero. Right. So, if human society fails to reign in its emissions, there’s a fair chance we’ll so denigrate the environment as to render it unable to support human life; thereby bringing about our own extinction, but rather than addressing that, we should concentrate on allowing some people to make money in the short term?

The second problem with the apparently unquestionable economic truth that our economy must always be growing is that growth means buildings, infrastructure, and use of natural resources. Are economists and politicians so inherently stupid they can’t see that indefinite expansion within a finite world is an impossibility?

And the third problem is the issue of quality. This government, like those before it, want growth, but don’t seem to be too picky about what’s growing. The expansion of Heathrow airport, for instance, was challenged in the courts during the last government, and judged to be unacceptable. Obvious really. Apart from the effect on people living near the airport (it’s a heavily populated area), the last thing we need is yet more air travel and a corresponding increase in emissions. Who was it who said that the Heathrow expansion shouldn’t be allowed to happen? Oh yes; Keir Starmer, when he was leader of the opposition. Now, as the PM, he’s changed his mind, to the extent that he’s planning to reform the legal system to block campaigners from challenging infrastructure projects. What a hypocrite!

There remains the problem of getting the economy moving so as to generate more wealth to lift some of those millions of people out of poverty (I mean, we could just get the super rich to contribute their fair share, but that would be too simple).

So here’s an idea…

Instead of building for the sake of building, why not ‘grow’ things that will actually benefit people, without an unacceptably high cost to the environment? We could start with libraries. So many have closed, and those that remain are woefully underfunded. Why not invest in a bold program to renovate, repair, and build new, well stocked, well run libraries across the country? That would be ‘growth’. It would generate jobs and income (and thereby increase tax revenue). It would help us all to become better read; better educated. It would help rejuvenate our decaying town and city centres.

You could support that with a significant investment in public transport, so we can all get to our local library. Improved public transport would reduce the number of car journeys, and therefore, reduce emissions; contributing towards net zero. And borrowing books, rather than buying them, reduces environmental impact too.

Because what our apparently rather dense Chancellor can’t seem to see (dare I suggest she’s distracted by all those fossil fuel industry lobbyists whispering promises of non-executive directorships and highly paid after dinner speaking gigs in her ears), is that it doesn’t have to be a choice between net zero and growth. Net zero can be the growth. You just need to make sure you invest in projects that will contribute towards net zero.

Like libraries.

But what do I know?