Brexit: Why London companies must look beyond the capital, writes Jim Armitage
You may not agree with how Brexiteer David Ross voted, but the Carphone Warehouse tycoon’s insights into why the poorer parts of England crossed the Leave box will give you pause for thought.
He explains how communities that his foundation schools work with have been hollowed out by austerity, forgotten by Westminster and ignored by business. Little wonder they registered a protest vote — albeit on utterly false promises.
Ross hopes London will get the message and act on it. One person who gets this is the CBI’s Carolyn Fairbairn, keynote speaker at tonight’s Evening Standard Business Awards.
She talks about how London companies must spread their wealth and move out of the City. She’s right, but this will never happen until the dismal train and rail connections are improved between the regions and London, where the financial and tech services that businesses rely on will always be based.
An out-of-town friend in London for a meeting with his bankers a couple of weeks ago was stranded here overnight when trains out of Paddington were cancelled. Not before rail staff sent him first to Ealing Broadway, then Waterloo.
Rather than being shocked, he seemed resigned to this misery. I can’t see many FTSE 100 bosses being so patient.
