Uncertainty is the only certainty there is. It is an overused phrase in the business world, but the last few weeks of political twists and turns - over at first net zero policies and then the future of HS2 - have left many hardened construction bosses reeling.

Rishi Sunak is not the first prime minister to perform a screeching about-turn, but perhaps what many find galling is that he has presented these announcements under the banner of ‘long-term decisions’. The backlash from the business community has been sizeable, summed up by this damning reaction to the HS2 cuts from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association: “This truly beggars belief, and suggests that decisions are being made for political reasons with no understanding of the stark long-term consequences.”

But is all of this just what we should expect from politics? We have, after all, just come to the end of party conference season, all the more heightened for being – probably - the last before the next election. For those who tire of slogans and soundbites, things are only set to get worse. While many in construction would like to get polling day out of the way as soon as possible, it seems spring has been ruled out so we have about a year of political knock-about ahead of us.

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