We’ve seen already a very clear departure from the Cameron/Osborne way of government, including on policy and approach.

May has confidently positioned herself as a Prime Minister that advocates ‘substance over style’. She has already broken away from several policy agendas and although the political and economic landscape continues to be dominated by Brexit, there are still some issues that refuse to go away regardless of who is at the top.

Airport expansion

The Prime Minister was accused of dithering over a new runway for London and the south east after it was announced this week that a final decision will not be revealed for a further 18 months. She has shown before (Hinkley Point) she is not afraid to take her time and make the right call.

This move to delay a Heathrow decision is a tad surprising. However, could it be that May is simply trying to minimise the scope for judicial review by allowing for this extended consultation period? If so, delaying the final decision at this stage could actually speed up the overall process, whilst simultaneously reaffirming support for the choice of Heathrow over Gatwick.

Let’s hope a decision is made sooner rather than later. We need to get going on investing in and building new and much-needed infrastructure.

With less than 100 days to go until the general election, and with most polls putting little between the two main parties, the next few months will undoubtedly be witness to highly emotive and passionately fought election campaigns. Indisputably a key election issue, and potential vote winner, will revolve around the uneven geographical distribution of growth within the UK and in particular the ever-present north / south divide. Indeed, this is already a subject on the agenda of politicians and the electorate, as seen in George Osborne’s 2014 speech, ‘We need a northern powerhouse’, when the Chancellor stressed the need to address this growing polarisation.