This is part of a series on what 14 years of Tory rule have delivered for Britain’s economy, society and standing in the world. The challenges awaiting the next government are numerous.

Britain doesn’t spend enough on its housing, railways and other economic infrastructure, and the country is poorer, less competitive and more unequal as a result. The UK’s low rates of investment relative to peer economies have been a fact for decades. Although the Conservatives can point to some successes, such as the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband coverage to most of the country, that basic tendency hasn’t changed during their years in office.