Still picking losers we see

Of course, reducing the friction - and thus cost - that the interminable planning system introduces into the economy is worthwhile. Economic growth is the doing of new things, or at the very least old things in new ways. The speed of growth is the speed at which we can do those things - a decrepit planning system therefore slows economic growth.

Yet there’s still a problem with this:

Homeowners who object to new solar panels, wind turbines and nuclear reactors face being ignored by planning officers under a once-in-a-generation overhaul of rules as part of Boris Johnson's energy strategy.

The Prime Minister unveiled a commitment to make it harder to prevent new energy projects from going ahead as part of ambitious plans to slash gas use so the country cannot be "subject to blackmail" by Vladimir Putin.

Part of it is that new housing is just as much a necessity as new energy. It should be the system as a whole reformed, not just for energy. For, if we are now to agree that we cannot delay energy projects through pettifogging detail then why is this not true of all projects?

But even in detail this is still wrong. For by selecting which energy technologies do not have to face the full horrors of the planning system the government is still picking losers. Whatever the new system it should apply not just to the currently favoured technologies, but to all - geothermal, fracking, that new idea of moonlight from cucumbers and so on.

For selecting which technologies are easier to build is again the selection of technologies, isn’t it?