Biden’s gamble shows soft power is key to Boris Johnson’s ‘levelling up’ plan

The decision by US Democrats to tie a bill mandating $1 trillion of spending on traditional infrastructure to a measure to unlock three times that investment in people is a lesson for the UK on how to boost 21st century economic growth, says Phil Thornton

Investments in projects like HS2 are key for long-term growth, but should not be prioritised over investment in people (Getty Images)

The passage of US president Joe Biden’s $1 trillion (£720bn) infrastructure bill through the bitterly-divided Senate is a rare gleam of sunlight for a global economy ravaged by Covid-19, the climate emergency and extreme political partisanship.

The upbeat feeling is not just because of what is in the bill – although that is important. It is significant because the Democrats have insisted its passage through the House of Representatives will be tied to a much larger measure to mandate $3.5 trillion (£2.53 trillion) of expenditure on so-called “soft” infrastructure.

As we have seen closer to home, politicians tend to focus on a certain type of infrastructure project, such as the multi-billion pound HS2 rail project linking London to the north because of politicians’ ability to look tough by turning up in high-vis jackets and hard hats.