A world-first focus on long-term outcomes could transform UK government – or create new spending fights

Tucked away in John Healey’s budget is decision to ringfence preventative projects where future savings outweigh initial costIt merited the briefest of mentions in John Healey’s speech and just one paragraph in the 166-page budget document, but some believe it could revolutionise not just public spending but the very process of government itself: a new focus on long-term outcomes.The idea in the broad sense is very simple.

Any spending deemed to be “preventative” – that is, the initial outlay wi