The future for Britain is to be a low tax country where people play by the rules.
The future for Britain is to be a pro-business country.
And we also have to build for that future.
Big decisions on infrastructure have always been controversial and always will be.
The railways were bitterly opposed in the nineteenth century.
The motorways were opposed in the twentieth century.
Let's face it, even today this country has spent forty years failing to take a decision aboutbuilding a new runway in the South East of England.
There are always one hundred reasons to stick with the past, but we need to choose the future.
We should ask ourselves what the Golden Boys in that statue outside would have done.
What choice would those Great Britons have made?
Would they have said, our trains may be packed, our roads congested, our transport systemcan't cope, but we won't build any more roads or new railways?
No they would not.
Would they have said, yes we mined for coal deep underground, and explored for oil beneathour seas, but we should leave the extraordinary shale gas reserves untouched beneath ourfeet?
No they would not.
Would they have said that the country that built the first civil nuclear power station should notbuild anymore?
No they would not.
Would they have said its ok if our children can't afford houses so long as we have them?
No they would not.
And would the Golden Boys who were part of an age of enlightenment that discovered thevaccine for smallpox have said:
We're not going to have any research into those genetic medicines and crops that will savecountless lives in the future?
No they would not.
We must choose the future.
We will tap the shale gas, commission nuclear power and renewables, and guarantee ourenergy for the future.
We will build the high speed rail, decide where to put a runway and support the next generationwith starter homes in a permanent Help to Buy.
We must learn from the past, not be the past.