Government’s fast broadband programme ‘feeble’

UK residents can hardly fail to have noticed that a general election is taking place next Thursday, 7th May.

As is usual with elections, the record of the previous administration, the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition, the UK’s first peacetime coalition since that of January 1919 to October 1922, is coming under intense scrutiny from all quarters.

Our attention was caught by a piece in yesterday’s online edition of the Mirror penned by Bill Grimsey, the former chief executive of the Wickes and Iceland retail chains.

One only has to read the headline – Ignore Tory propaganda, the high street tells you where our economy’s really at – to ascertain that Mr Grimsey is no fan of the coalition.

However, his article, whilst concentrating mainly on the perceived lack of economic recovery on the High Street and in the retail sector, Mr Grimsey also attacks the government’s efforts to modernise the country’s internet connectivity.

Mr Grimsey wrote:

Other hopeless policies include laughable attempts to tax pasties and a feeble attempt to roll out fast broadband across the UK. We know technology is transforming the way we shop and Britain needs to start preparing for the future, ensuring local authorities wire all high streets with no black spots. Yet, Tory ministers seem stuck in the 1980s and we still lag behind Korea and Finland in broadband speed. Even Latvia and Romania have better Internet connection speed than the UK.

Do you agree or disagree with Bill Grimsey? Let us know in the comments below.