FORESIGHT JOINS NORTHERN POWERHOUSE-FOCUSED TRADE MISSION TO CHINA

 

Bernard Fairman, Co-founder and Chairman of Foresight Group (“Foresight”) and Head of Institutional Capital, Mark Burrows, have been in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu this week for the four day ‘Northern Powerhouse’ trade mission visit to China led by Chancellor George Osborne and Business Secretary Sajid Javid.

 

This visit has followed the successful delegation to South East Asia in July, which was also attended by Foresight, and will introduce institutions and corporates to the opportunities for investment in infrastructure and manufacturing as part of the UK Government’s Northern Powerhouse project.

 

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:

"I want the UK to forge much closer economic links with China and that means being ambitious enough to help to deliver record levels of investment and trade in both directions.

“That is why I travelled to China this week with a huge Ministerial and business delegation, ensuring that the British companies with us had fantastic opportunity to explore new markets and to make vital contacts.  Our aim is to make China the UK’s second largest trading partner and British firms have a massive opportunity to benefit."

 

Bernard Fairman, Chairman, Foresight, commented:

“Our strategy of setting up regional offices in the UK is filling a gap in the market which perfectly complements the Chancellor’s ambitions to create an economic hub in the North of England.”

 

Mark Burrows, Head of Institutional Capital, Foresight, commented:

 

“We are delighted to see the demand that is coming from Institutional Investors in China with a mind to invest in UK Infrastructure”

 

 

DUNEDIN BACKED BLACKROCK PM APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN

 

 

Blackrock Programme Management (‘Blackrock PM’), the professional services firm that provides independent expert witness and construction consulting services for large, international construction projects, has announced a significant appointment to its board with the news that Tim Trotter has joined as Chairman.

 

Blackrock PM has advised on many prestigious projects around the Globe including the Shard in London, the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) in Dubai, and power stations, desalination plants and oil & gas facilities across the EAME region. The company currently has a strong pipeline of high profile contracts and is advising on construction disputes valued at over $6 billion. UK mid market private equity firm Dunedin invested in Blackrock PM in March 2015.

 

Tim Trotter has extensive experience of working with people related businesses. For the last eight years he has held the position of Chairman of advisory business Glenfern. Tim currently holds Non-Executive Chairman positions at blue chip companies including – Alpha FMC, Catalyst Corporate Finance, Nigel Wright Group, Smithfield Group and The SR Group.

 

Prior to Glenfern, Tim founded Ludgate Group Limited, an international public relations and investor relations company. Tim was CEO and Chairman of the business and he was instrumental in building its international brand, as well as introducing two leading private equity investors to the business: Cinven and Granville (which became Baird Capital). Tim implemented the sale of Ludgate to Interpublic and was subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman of Interpublic’s global public relations division, Weber Worldwide, now Weber Shandwick.

 

Tim also co-founded Citywire Holdings Ltd, the news service providing information to the global asset management industry and Bluefin Group Ltd, the financial services company.

 

Giles Derry, partner at Dunedin, who sits on the board of Blackrock PM commented: “Tim has a wealth of experience in managing and growing international people related businesses and he will be a tremendous asset at Blackrock PM. As an investor in the business we remain committed to supporting its active expansion strategy, through ongoing organic growth as well as selective acquisitions. Blackrock PM intends to expand its international focus and we look forward to working with Tim to deliver on this.

 

 

Tim Trotter commented: “I am delighted to be joining Blackrock PM at such a pivotal time in the company’s development and will work alongside management to expand its services, capacity and international reach.”

 

 

Two million SME business leaders say EU hinders their business

 

74% want Britain to take back power to negotiate our own trade deals

 

Just 25% agree with the rationale for the Single Market

 

 

A new poll of SME business leaders has found that a majority of them believe that the EU is hindering their business, that powers should be brought back from the EU and that they reject the rationale for the single market.

 

The poll, commissioned by Shore Capital, was carried out by Perspective Research Services for Business for Britain in August 2015.

 

Howard Shore, Executive Chairman of Shore Capital Group, said:

“If I had to establish my business in today’s regulatory environment, with so much interference from the EU in the way businesses operate, I’m not sure it would have been possible. We commissioned this research so that millions of hard working entrepreneurs across the United Kingdom had a voice in this once-in-a-generation debate. Only with successful wealth creators can we grow, employ more people and pay for the public services we all deserve.”

 

Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of Business for Britain, said:

"Business opinion is divided over Britain's relationship with the EU, yet  a majority of SMEs - the lifeblood of the economy - want to see powers flowing back to Britain. It is particularly damning that by two to one SMEs think the EU is hindering them, not helping them, and this shows why Britain must take back control of how it trades in a dynamic, globalised economy. The EU has shown itself ill-equipped to deal with the challenges it faces, hurting business and costing jobs. We must end the supremacy of EU law over British law."

 

Key findings

 

By 2:1 SMEs believe that the EU is hindering their business

Over 2.1 million smaller business leaders (41%) believe that the EU is hindering their business. That is twice as many as the 20% who believe it helps them.

 

Businesses want powers brought back from the EU

 

Twice as many businesses want powers brought back from the EU as would prefer to see more power given to the EU:

 

§  There is a strong view that the UK should be in charge of key areas of policy rather than the EU institutions: 4.4 million SME owners (84%) say that the UK should be in charge of employment law; 4.2 million (81%) say that the UK should be in charge of working qualifications; and 4.1 million (79%) say that the UK should be in charge of health and safety legislation.

 

§  2.8 million leaders of smaller businesses (54%) would like either like the EU to be a less integrated free trade area or would want complete withdrawal from the EU.

 

§  Just 26% would like to see a more integrated EU or a European government.

 

There is a strong view that the UK should be in charge of key areas of policy rather than the EU institutions: 4.4 million SME owners (84%) say that the UK should be in charge of employment law; 4.2 million (81%) say that the UK should be in charge of working qualifications; and 4.1 million (79%) say that the UK should be in charge of health and safety legislation.

 

 

Businesses reject the rationale for the EU single market

 

Just 25% of business leaders agree with the rationale for the Single Market – that ‘common EU rules make trade and business easier and the Single Market is good for jobs and living standards’. Over 3.5 million SME owners (69%) believe that the UK can trade and cooperate with Europe without giving away permanent control over its economy.

 

Businesses want real EU reform

 

Over 3.6 million SME owners (70%) believe that the Prime Minister must negotiate a new Treaty in order to secure a ‘meaningful change’ in the UK’s relationship with the EU, with the largest support (76%) coming from those who have 10-49 employees.

 

 

Over 3.8 million SME owners (74%) believe that the British Government should handle negotiations of trade agreements. Only 22% say that the EU should handle international trade agreements.