Business leader sets out three ways Britain can boost global growth

Post-Brexit Britain may care to adopt three key measures to improve its global trading performance as it emerges from the Covid-19 crisis, a leading businessman has advocated.

Carl Richardson (pictured), who jointly leads the Richardson family 's international business with his brothers from their Midlands headquarters, has suggested three measures - well scheduled trade missions, the national flagship yacht and a British Goods Bill - that he believes could form part of an ambitious schedule to enhance Britain 's global reputation.

He makes these points in the second of three articles designed to stimulate debate around a challenge in which Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: “The world is moving faster, and therefore we have to� move faster with it. ”

In his first article, published last week, Mr Richardson suggested that government could be strengthened by bringing business leaders into the Cabinet, retaining key business focused ministers in post for the duration of a parliament and also establishing a Minister for FAANGs.

Turning to international trade, Carl suggests an ambitious programme of trade missions to key markets should be planned at least 12 months in advance in order to give business people ample opportunity to manage diaries and ensure they can play an active role.

He adds: “This would be a simple yet effective way to help improve the outcome of trade missions. Diary management has become a key part of modern business life with business people juggling so many different tasks.

“Clear forward planning and notice of such trips would help to ensure that the most suitable representatives of business can participate while not neglecting the day job. The missions must involve a true reflection of our business community, including leaders from ambitious and successful SMEs and family -run businesses throughout the country, alongside CEOs of FTSE 100 companies.

“They could work in tandem with our trade experts within the Department of International Trade in order to ensure that businesses play a genuinely active role in developing the opportunities that exist all around the world.

“All plans around trade missions have been understandably curtailed for the past 18 months, but shouldn 't we now be ready to jump back confidently into the world once restrictions allow, travelling and building networks and relationships in person?

“We must also grasp events such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and our application to join the Pacific Rim-focused CPTPP trade group to help turbo-charge our exports and economic growth.

“Indeed, the Commonwealth Games, coming off the back of another golden Olympics for Britain and the positive vibe that generates, presents a generational opportunity for the West Midlands to be thrust firmly to the forefront of such international promotion. ”

Moving onto proposals for a new national yacht, Carl adds: “Let 's further demonstrate our ambition as a country and press ahead with welcome initiatives such as the much-discussed new national flagship yacht, not as a vanity project but rather as a display of British self-belief which can provide a unique (and mobile) 'money can 't buy ' experience.

“This can then be used by our leaders to form crucial relationships with key decision-makers around the globe while simultaneously showcasing the best of British on the ship.

“Defence secretary Ben Wallace has now given a 'firm price ' of what will be a floating embassy of between £200 million and £250 million - less than 0.1 per cent of the £13 billion defence budget for shipbuilding over the next 10 years from which the cost will be drawn.

“While my role as an honorary officer in the Royal Navy Reserve might influence my support for a new flagship, when you look at the cost-benefit of the plans maybe it is not such a bad deal after all? ”

And Carl urges backing for the British Goods Bill, introduced by John Spellar, MP for Warley, where the Richardson business is headquartered.

Carl says: This Bill aims to place a duty on public bodies to have a 'presumption in favour ' of purchasing goods of British origin when orders are being placed. The Private Members ' Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons just before the summer recess and is due for a second reading on December 10.

“To be clear, we are advocates of free trade, but in a post-Brexit world where we supposedly have more control of our rules, it is baffling when you hear that none of the syringes used to give the 85 million doses of Covid vaccine that have been delivered to date in the UK have been made here.

“Surely more effort could have been made to procure locally? Is a law required to make this happen, or just an adjustment in attitude and awareness?

“While there will undoubtedly be challenges and much debate around the Bill, and we clearly have to strike the right balance with this in order to give our trade negotiators a fair chance as they continue to work on a raft of new Free Trade Agreements with different countries.

“As John Spellar has said, if the USA can manage to balance being a member of the WTO and a great trading nation with a firm 'Buy America ' policy, surely we can do the same with more of a 'Buy British ' approach to our procurement efforts? ”