The Adam Smith Institute has today slammed Labour’s costly, ill-thought out proposal to nationalise broadband in the United Kingdom.

Matthew Lesh, Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute, says Labour’s plans would be disastrous for the country:

“Nationalising broadband would be a total disaster for the British people. It will cost tens of billions, lower service quality and leave millions waiting longer for the rollout of high speed fibre internet and 5G. We shouldn't have to call up Jeremy Corbyn every time the internet goes down.

"The Government shouldn't be paying for a service that the vast majority of us can afford. There are so many other more pressing priorities for taxpayer funds like schools, hospitals and police.

“The key issue in broadband is a lack of competition. The last thing we need is a costly government scheme that will scare away booming private sector investment from companies. Just today TalkTalk put on hold the announcement of plans about FibreNation, a multi-billion pound project to invest in fibre. Labour’s plan will be turning back the clock to a time when Britons had to wait months for a phone line connection from the post office.

To arrange an interview or further comment, please contact Matt Kilcoyne via email (matt@adamsmith.org) or phone (07904099599).