Champion of better capitalism
Food and agriculture. In my ignorance, I used to think that they were peripheral to ‘real’ wealth creation. No longer. Here are two stories. Both involve pigs. One is a salutary tale from America’s Midwest in Sunday’s London Observer newspaper (How America’s food giants … Continue readingTwo pig tales – why Woody is wrong and Tree is right
The decision by the Department of Transport to offer a contract to Seaborne Freight to run ferries in the event of a no-deal Brexit has now been scrapped. This was a company with no ferries and no experience of operating ferries, as part of a … Continue readingHow to ensure taxpayers get better value from private sector
For years I have been critical of current and previous governments because they lacked a systematic policy to promote long term wealth creation covering everything from pensions and investment to company law and public procurement. Now at last we are seeing the emergence of … Continue readingWealth creation’s worst wrecker since Scargill
I still hope that at the end of our Brexit melodrama we will find the kind of relationship with our European neighbours that: – offers the next generation the freedom to travel and learn and make friends as true Europeans – strengthens, not weakens, … Continue readingWhat taking back control really means – positive thinking beyond Brexit
I’m now reading Paul Colliers outstanding book ‘The Future of Capitalism’ (Of which more anon). Tomorrow’s Company would recognise his ideas on the ownership and leadership and stewardship (though he doesn’t use that word) of business as close to our agenda of 24 years. … Continue readingHow to make sense of the desire to ‘Take Back Control’
I am following the party conference system and trying to identify grown up current or past front bench politicians who seem to have a responsible approach and serious ideas for government. People who strike me as having some practical experience to put behind their words. … Continue readingLet’s back the grown ups!
In Italy, the Minister of Finance is being threatened by his coalition partners with a ‘mega vendetta’ if his Treasury officials cannot find money from their spending promises. In Germany Mrs Merkel’s close supporter Volker Kauder has been defeated after 13 years as leader of … Continue readingWhatever happened to party unity?
Two years on from the election of Teresa May, the same old business debates are recycled in the UK. The gap between the pay of directors and employees continues to grow. Productivity remains flat. Investment in research and development is disappointing. The quality of apprenticeships … Continue readingTom Brown’s Work Days
I am reading East West Street by Philippe Sands, the human rights barrister. In this powerful book he describes his journey to discover how his grandparents, Ukrainian Jews, evaded capture while 70 of their close family all died in the Holocaust after years of rising … Continue readingHatred is on the march
The current Brexit crisis is grave and it also has dangerous side-effects. While the parliamentary fever rages other maladies are getting neglected in the UK. These are problems that Charles Handy once compared with slowly heating a frog in water. The frog doesn’t recognise, until … Continue readingThe social care crisis deepens