PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE - ISSUE 24 - SURREY EDITION by Platinum Business

The widest-read business publication in the South East

SURREY EDITION . ISSUE 24 . 2016

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What would Maggie do? And the verdicts of the business community

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WELCOME

THE BIG STORY THE IRON LADY Margaret Thatcher stood up to be counted on the European question. What would she do now?

33 42

IN OR OUT At PBM we are as united as Boris & David. Who do you agree with?

FOOTPRINTS FOR GOOD Interview with Bob Holt OBE

52 58

LAS VEGAS What goes in Vegas, stays in Vegas - but Rose Dykins tells all!

THE IMMORAL TAX Should the dead cough up again?

We have finally succumbed to referendum pressure. As a magazine that has never been known to do things half-heartedly, we have devoted a substantial section of this issue to the once-in-a-generation decision - IN or OUT, LEAVE or REMAIN. There has been a seismic split at the very top of Platinum Towers, as we both have different views and fundamentally disagree with each other’s point of view so we went out and canvassed some of the region’s leading business figures to ask for for their opinion. Many cannot comment, of course, as they might have clients on both side of the fence but many have, plus we have quotes from a few celebs and politicians thrown in for good measure. There might also be a few quotes that will stop you in your tracks, or at least make you think very hard. The most we can hope for is to get the decision done and then crack on, whatever route we take. This uncertainty is bad for business. But of course, there’s more. We interview Bob Holt OBE, the Chairman of Mears Group PLC about his New Year’s honour, we ask what will be the result of the merger of two great accountancy firms, Kreston Reeves and Spofforths and Rose jets back from Vegas with all the scoop for business travel in the City that never sleeps. Rose looked a tad rough, so guess it’s true. Maarten gets his hands on the all-new Audi R8V10 and rips up some tarmac and, for some odd reason, he couldn’t locate the off button for the earth-shattering exhaust so we would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the residents of the region. Amanda will likely never travel with him again as they ’sauntered’ up to Weybridge to the Brooklands Hotel for lunch and the cheek of driving it full chat onto the forecourt of Sandown Mercedes to collect their Marketing Director, Keith Jackman, for lunch will be remembered for some time to come. Great lunch though by all accounts. We experience the Acumen Business Convention and came across Zebras all over the Grand Hotel, Anger Management has a rant about an immoral tax and DMH Stallard write about the happy, but inevitable, subject of death and divorce. Amanda pops over to Wiston Vineyard on her quest to sample every vineyard in the South East. That girls got some stamina and, me thinks, hollow legs. Great legs though by all accounts. We have tried to be un-biased in all aspects of the EU debate, bar our personal comments, and by the time we come to you next month, it will be done and dusted. Problems in store whatever we choose but at least it will be over and we can get on with business.

Maarten & Ian Platinum Business Magazine June 2016

responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising

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Issue 24 - 2016

The Team

AT A GLANCE 6

Local News

52 Travel - Las Vegas

NatWest

Kingston Awards

58 Anger Management

Surrey Chambers of

60 CharityLine

Commerce Maarten Hoffmann â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Director maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07966 244046

Woking Chamber

17 Croydon Chamber 18

Cranleigh Chamber

20 National News 24 Margaret Thatcher

Ian Trevett â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Director ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07989 970804

62 Prowse & Co 63 Motoring - Vauxhall Insignia

64 Motoring - Audi R8 V10 66 Motoring - Skoda Octavia vRS

32 Rawlison Butler

70 Hewitts 150 Anniversary

33 The EU Debate

71 Table Talk

40 Accountancy Merger

72 Review - 1907

42 Interview - Bob Holt 43 Business Travel

Restaurant

46 Carpenter Box 47

Business Travel

49 Travel Tips 50 Global Travel Management

Amanda Spicer Senior Designer

Julia Trevett Accounts Manager

Rose Dykins Travel Editor

Lauren Psyk Event Photographer

Chef Profile - Ben McKellar

44 DMH Stallard

Amanda Menahem Food & Drink Editor

Gatwick Forum

Producer - Wiston Estate Winery

79 Wine Masterclass 80 Secret Surrey 82 Institute of Directors

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

Compiled by Ian Trevett

TOASTING SUCCESS The Toast of Surrey Business Awards 2016, organised by the Surrey Advertiser, marked the success of companies and businesses, both large and small, that help give Surrey its reputation for being the engine room that drives the nation’s economy. The 2016 winners are: Young Business of the Year (trading less than 12 months) - Ruby & Kind Social Enterprise Award - Changing Perceptions Apprentice Scheme of the Year - Sweethaven Creative Industries Award - Countrywide Telecoms Mental Health and Wellbeing - National Centre for Domestic Violence Green Award - Johnston Sweepers International Trade - Vocality International Company with a Turnover up to £1million - Informed Choice Company with a Turnover up to £5million - Source Supplies Company with a Turnover over £5million - Global Travel Management Director of the Year - Julianne Ponan (Creative Nature)

Company with a Turnover over £5million Global Travel Management

FIVE-STAR DIRECTOR

AND MORE AWARDS… Eagle Radio’s 2016 Biz Awards celebrated business success in Surrey and Hampshire. All the finalists attended a ceremony and gala lunch at Great Fosters in Egham. A total of £30,000 worth of prizes was handed out to the winners decided by an expert panel. The winners: New business/start-up of the year - BHW Cleaning Group Entrepreneur of the Year -Nick Thompson - DCSL Software Ltd Employee of the Year - Michael Tarran - The Friary, Guildford Customer Focus - Ramsac Ltd Green Award - Eibe Play - Hurtmore Community Consideration - Hobbledown, Epsom Digital Innovation - Fordway Solutions Charity/Social Enterprise of the Year - Oakleaf Enterprise, Guildford Leadership Award - Karin Walker, KGW Family Law Business of the Year - DCSL Software Ltd – Farnborough Great Fosters

Projectfive MD, Steve Coburn, has won the award for Director of the Year for London and the South East, at the Institute of Directors. The Director of the Year Awards celebrate the very best in UK business. They are a public recognition of the key role directors play, not only in the UK’s economy but also in job preservation and creation. They place emphasis on individual excellence and achievement. Steve said, “I was so pleased to win. I honestly didn’t expect it and it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It’s at times like these when you want to thank the team around you for their hard work and dedication. Our success is jointly earned, and, whilst it may be the most obvious cliché to say, it really is a team effort! There is a real buzz in the office (more so than normal), and you can see how proud it makes everyone in the company feel.”

“User: the word computer professionals use when they mean ‘idiot’.” 6

NEWS

“A hotel minibar allows you to see into the future and ﬁnd out what a can of Coke will cost in 2020.”

BETTER BY HALF

A ROYAL LIFT FOR SESAME

The Heathrow office of top-20 accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy has merged with local firm Half Penny accountants. The combined firm will be known as Wilkins Kennedy, and Steve Yeomans of Half Penny will continue in his capacity as a director. The deal comes on the back of a successful year for Wilkins Kennedy, which grew its business by 10% in 2015 and now has 15 offices throughout the South East. Kevin Walmsley, Managing Partner of Wilkins Kennedy’s Heathrow office,

A Byfleet company has won a Queen’s Award for Innovation for its “invisible” lifts, an example of which

said: “We have worked with Half Penny

has now been installed at the Sydney Opera House.

Accountants for a number of years,

Sesame Access developed the lifts, which can be hidden to look like a flight of stairs, after a friend

primarily providing tax support and

of owner Charlie Lyons complained his wife had problems accessing buildings because she was a

assistance on business recovery and

wheelchair user.

restructuring. By joining Wilkins Kennedy we can offer Half Penny’s clients a wider range of accounting services.” Half Penny Director, Steve Yeomans, said: “Our firms are a great match in terms of business ethos, as we both focus on client delivery and excellent customer service. The merger will keep that promise, as we will now be able to offer clients wider and more specialist support.”

Mr Lyons and his son Steven built a prototype and the first lift was installed in Marchant Taylor’s Hall, Threadneedle Street, in 1996. The lifts work by retracting into the building to reveal a platform lift, which will take the user to the upper landing, and works in reverse to allow users to return to the lower landing. Alison Lyons, director of commercial development at Sesame Access and daughter of Mr Lyons, said: “This was the third year in a row we applied for this, so we are chuffed to bits.” “Sydney Opera House architects found out about our lifts and came to us as they wanted to be the first place in Australia to get one of our lifts.” UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Regional Director Lewis Scott said: “Sesame Access is a fantastic example of a family-run company with a great product that is punching well above its weight internationally.”

NEW POLICE CHIEF FOR SURREY Conservative candidate David Munro has been announced as the new Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) after edging out incumbent commissioner Kevin Hurley on second preferences. Mr Munro had received 82,125 of the county’s first-preference votes – nearly double Mr Hurley’s 41,603 – but a fraction below the 50 per cent of the vote required under the single transferable vote format. Mr Munro told the Epsom Guardian: “I have been appalled at what has been emerging of this corrosive feuding at Surrey Police. “I intend to have a respectful relationship with the chief constable and his management team. “We will not agree with each other all the time, but any disagreements will occur because we have differing views on how best to serve Surrey. “I aim to be much better at working with other public authorities, within Surrey and outside. It is my priority to have a much better relationship with the metropolitan police, as they share a border with Surrey.”

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS SURREY’S STREETS PAVED WITH GOLD? Surrey’s new Lord Lieutenant, Richard Whittington, is a distant relative of the 14th-century Lord Mayor of London, and later Sheriff of London, who was better known as Dick Whittington. Richard Whittington was installed as the High Sheriff of Surrey for 2016-17 at Guildford Cathedral. The role will see him act as the Queen’s representative of the judiciary. Mr Whittington is a governor of Gordon’s School, Chobham, non-executive director of the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, honorary treasurer of the Community Foundation for Surrey and sits on the Finance and Investment Group. He worked for KPMG, where he was partner-in-charge of the infrastructure, government and healthcare group and also global head of building and construction. He plans to promote opportunities for Surrey’s youth in science, technology and engineering by reaching out to the business community and establishing apprenticeships, internships and work experience. He said: “Through my position at Gordon’s School, which has a strong emphasis on STEM subjects, I have seen the importance of working with businesses to promote these skills and give our young people the best chance of entering and succeeding in the workplace.”

RUBY ANNIVERSARY FOR RAYCROSS

CHAMBERS WORLD OF ADVENTURES

Byfleet Village firm, Raycross Interiors celebrated 40 years in business in May. The company specialises in high-quality kitchens,

One of the highlights of the Surrey Chambers events calendar, the Annual

bathrooms, bedrooms, living spaces and home offices, offering a

Summer Lunch, sponsored by The Surrey Research Park, will take place at

bespoke design service.

the Chessington World of Adventures Hotel & Resort on 22nd June. We are

The celebrations were attended by Mayor of Woking, Councillor

told there may be a surprise or two. The one surprise we can reveal is that the

Derek McCrum and the Mayoress, Mrs Rosemary McCrum and a

incredible explorer Mark Wood will be entertaining guests fresh from his latest

portfolio of photos dating back to 1976.

expedition to the North Pole.

Ray Cross, who founded the company, said “I am really proud

There will be a raffle in support of the charity, Oakleaf Enterprise, who are the

of what we have achieved over the last 40 years. Our ethos has

only mental health charity in Surrey working as a social enterprise to provide

always been to focus on exceptional customer service, and we

vocational training for those suffering from mental health issues.

have built our business through reputation.”

Tables of 10 can can be booked for £450 + VAT by emailing:

www.raycross.co.uk

anita.avery@surrey-chambers.co.uk

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” 8

NEWS

“When l was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, l could hardly stand to have him around. But when l got to be 21, l was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

ELECTRIC BOOST WORTH ALMOST £2 BILLION Fully electrifying the North Downs Line will generate thousands of jobs and almost £2 billion for the region’s economy, Surrey County Council’s Mike Goodman told an event attended by the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin. Mr Goodman called for the last two sections of the Reading to Gatwick line to be electrified by 2019 – a total of 29 miles of track. Mr Goodman said that research by four local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) – Enterprise M3, Thames Valley Berkshire, Solent and Coast to Capital – suggested that the electrification would create around 8,000 jobs and stimulate £1.9 billion of economic growth. He also used his speech at the Great Western Railway (GWR) conference in London to highlight the need for more frequent trains on the line, longer platforms and greater capacity at Guildford station. “In the context of a heavily congested highway network and congested rail corridors with a London focus, I believe this line could play a more strategic role in supporting the development of a successful regional economy and promoting balanced growth across the South East,” Mr Goodman said. “We believe that a fully electrified service will offer passengers quicker, more reliable and better connected services.”

UBER BANS CABS NEAR HEATHROW American car hailing giant Uber has banned its drivers from swarming the villages surrounding Heathrow, and the airport is establishing a new waiting area for private-hire vehicles, to relieve residents from disruption caused by cars idling for fares. Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye, said Uber had agreed to direct its drivers to a new, 800-car waiting area that Heathrow is setting up for all private-hire vehicles and that the US app company had erected a “geofence” – a virtual barrier - around villages such as Harmondsworth and Sipson. Uber drivers who do not use the new parking facility will not be able to pick up customers from the airport, he said. “We’ve had Uber drivers parking in people’s driveways, we’ve even had rubbish in their gardens, causing a huge amount of local distress because they’re trying to get as close as possible to the airport to pick up the ride.”

CAPITAL CROYDON

Westfield has announced updated plans for their £1.4 billion regeneration of Croydon town centre. The retail developer says the 1.5 million square foot project, which will include shops, restaurants and affordable housing on and near the site of the Whitgift Centre, could create up to 5,000 new jobs. A spokesperson for the Croydon Partnership, comprising Westfield and developers Hammerson, said: “Croydon is set to become London’s biggest metropolitan growth centre, with £5.25 billion being invested over the next five years to transform the town into a commercial, residential and shopping hub for South London. “We are working closely with the council and the local community to ensure our redevelopment brings maximum benefits to the borough, and our plans have been well supported by the local political and business community. “We believe this represents a fantastic opportunity to return Croydon to its former glory as a premier retail and leisure destination.”

BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

REBUILDING AN SME FOR THE FIRST TIME

Restructuring a small business can be a daunting, but necessary, process, taking profit and growth to the next level.

by Peter Quilter ACIB MCIBS Chartered Banker Director, Corporate and Commercial Banking E-mail: peter.quilter@natwest.com

ebuilding a small business for the first time involves challenges linked to the size and structure of the business and

What are the signs an SME needs rebuilding? Those running SMEs must study the

Tai Alegbe, Co-Founder of Baacco, a wine delivery company, discovered the business needed rebuilding after realising that its core

attitudes of the founders. Larger organisations

current market and competition, because

proposition, “a showcase of emerging wine

operate in a continuous cycle of evolution, but

developments in these areas can cause their

sellers through curation and content,” was not

own growth to flatline, which is one key sign

as compelling to customers as anticipated and

that a business needs to rebuild. The need for

that “the use of the underlying technology was

owners don’t delegate, processes become

rebuilding grows as a company flatlines and

more important.”

ingrained and existing staff don’t want change.

profits start to fall.

SMEs often avoid introducing changes because

This led the company to rebuild towards

BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

“SMEs often avoid introducing changes because owners don’t delegate, processes become ingrained and existing staff don’t want change”

where the data was pointing, and

valued. It’s very difficult to get someone

illustrated another common difficulty in

to subscribe to a new approach if they

rebuilding an SME: staff relationships.

feel that approach will take away either

Alegbe explains: “We were dominated

an element of purpose, mastery or

by individuals who had marketing and

autonomy.”

wine backgrounds and lacked balance in terms of engineering talent. We had

Autonomous owners and

a choice: to continue down a path which

delegation

yielded limited results, or follow a

Many SMEs that need rebuilding have

harder but more exciting path. “We needed to start again with the

grown into their current state from a

idea and rebuild the team. As a result,

position led by the founder, but as the

some team members left and new

company grows the owner is pulled

technical staff joined. We feel it was the right choice, but the practicality of it was quite difficult.”

How to approach change in an SME Mike Bandar runs Turn Partners, a start-up

aside 10% of profits to look for new markets, new approaches and ways of doing things.” As an extension of their owners, the ability to let go of parts of the business is important. Change can be difficult to implement in

away from their skill set into other parts of the business. This is why it’s important to be able to delegate. Business founders are often good at a range of aspects of running the business, but get

studio focusing on the acquisition, turnaround

smaller businesses, which are often driven by

pulled all over the place, with the demands on

and creation of online businesses. He believes

one powerful figure or a number of senior egos.

their time growing as the business develops

owners must “incorporate a culture of change.”

They often have a perceived vested interest in

“It really depends what the owner’s

not letting go of anything, although the rewards

ambitions are,” he says. “Firstly, the owner

for stronger growth in a revised business could

needs to really identify what they want out of

be potentially much higher.

over time. This can lead to them losing focus on the things they do best. Sticking to what they’re good at is what led to the initial success. Another aspect that adds to the difficulty in

the business. They need to look at efficiency

The best SMEs are run by people with the

and margins. Look at the growth figures and,

vision to see their own limitations and gather

making an initial change is sourcing business

as it slows, ask, ‘Is the business reaching its

around people who excel at the things they

growth capital. Above all, owners have to set

natural peak? Is it now time to look at different

aren’t so good at. These are the skills that will

aside time to look at the financial pressures

markets?’ Sometimes, just a small change can

drive the business forward.

facing the business. Making sure they have

Why is it difficult to do for the first time?

the required funds to finance future growth is

make all the difference.” Bandar goes into a company that needs rebuilding and asks, ‘What can our team do better than the founding team?’ “If it’s easy to answer, then there is a problem and we try and look at it holistically.”

Why is it difficult for SMEs to change? As businesses grow, owners and senior staff

Alegbe says there was a variety of reasons for delaying the rebuilding of Baacco.com. “The biggest factors for our delay were the need for new start-up capital, explaining to

time to focus on. They need to put in place a clear finance and growth strategy that clearly lays out where the business is heading. In summary, the key challenges for

external stakeholders why we were changing

rebuilding an SME are being able to take a

direction, and the perception that large change

step back from the business to have a realistic

means failure. Most important, though, was

are so caught up in existing operations that it

the challenge of bringing in new people.” This

can be difficult to take a step back. However,

brought about its own problems in terms of

Bandar believes this is vital for future success

staff feeling their roles had been devalued.

and to manage the rebuild. As well as finding

something business owners need to set aside

“In our marketing team, we started to use

overview. Owners must delegate and recruit skilled staff to allow them to use the skills they have and leave other parts of the business in safe hands. Accessing finance can hinder a

time, Bandar thinks that “if someone is serious

more technical solutions to acquire customers,

company that’s rebuilding and is an area that

about rebuilding their business, they should set

and our marketing lead began to feel less

outside expertise can help with.

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BUSINESS AWARDS

KINGSTON CALLING Kingston Business Excellence Awards 2016 call for entries

he Kingston Business Excellence Awards 2016, in association with NatWest, are now open to entries. The programme, celebrating innovation and success in the Royal Borough’s business community, launched at a lively party in the stunning Elizabethan suite of Glenmore House in Surbiton. Guests enjoyed canapes and drinks at the venue, the current holder of the Best Business for Leisure and Entertainment Award, on April 13th, and heard how the campaign can help boost business. Genuine Solutions won four awards at the 2015 Gala Dinner, including Business of the Year. MD Paul Crossman said: “It means three things: recognition, morale and fun. We were totally humbled to be recognised by our peers. It was a fantastic morale boost for our team that lasted for months. And it was a fantastic night, and a great experience.” Judges offer feedback to entrants, so simply taking part in the process has its benefits. “We look at your business and try to help it grow,” competition judge Bryan Treherne explained. Andy Carpenter, Director of Business Banking at NatWest, explained how the company advised and helped 450 start-ups in Kingston last year and maintains around 3,000 SMEs. “When we ask them what makes a good business, most of them say the same thing: provide outstanding service, good financial control, a robust and flexible business plan. The words that are frequently used in business are passion, commitment, enthusiasm and overwhelming satisfaction. All of last year’s winners demonstrated these behaviours.” Councillor Roy Arora, Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, added: “Kingston is flourishing, thanks to its local economy. Events like the Business Excellence Awards give companies a platform from which to celebrate success and innovation. I urge all local businesses, from small to large, to take the opportunity to enter. Get involved, complete an entry form, and good luck!” Awards sponsors include Antoinette Hotels, CNM Estates, Glenmore House, GSUK, GSL, Kingston College, Kingston University, McDonald’s and TaxAssist Accountants. They are led by Kingston Council, Kingstonfirst and Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Categories include Commitment to the Community, Best Business for Customer Service, Best Start-up Business, Entrepreneur of the Year, Best Business for Food, Hospitality and Leisure, Independent Retailer of the Year, Best SME Business, Best Business for Staff Training and Development, Best Apprenticeship Employer of the Year, Best Charity or Social Enterprise, Best Creative and Media Sector Business, Tech Innovation of the Year and Best Business for Marketing and Social Media. Deadline for entries is June 24th, and the crowning event, the Gala Dinner, takes place on October 13th.

Visit kingstonawards.co.uk

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

WORDS FROM LOUISE PUNTER

had a fantastic time when I attended the Surrey Advertiser’s Toast of Surrey Awards recently and had the privilege to be presenting the International Trade award, which was won by Vocality but closely contested by the other three, brilliant Surrey Chambers members: Conjoint Export Services, Perfect Pitch and Global Travel Management. Global Travel Management, however, were also nominated for and won the award for companies with a turnover over £5 million. A huge congratulations to our members Julianne Ponan from Creative Nature and Source Supplies, who both won awards too. It was so good to see so many familiar faces win some amazing awards. I have been Louise Punter bowled over by the fantastic work local companies are doing overseas and hope it will encourage other businesses to “go global”. We are now looking for Chamber Business Awards 2016 entries. This programme is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes, with organisations of all sizes and from all sectors from right across the UK competing for the coveted titles and the national recognition they bring. I would like to secure some wins for Surrey, so encourage submissions from all businesses.

CHAMBER NEWS

SURREY HOSTS THE WORLD’S LARGEST PUBLIC ART EVENT

CowParade, the world’s largest public art event comes to Surrey this summer and will see lots of brightly decorated fibreglass cows placed in popular landmarks across the county. The idea is that each cow is ‘sponsored’ by a businesses, community group, school or charity and decorated by an artist. The cows, which can be standing, sitting or grazing, will then be herded to the inaugural Surrey Hills Food, Drink and Music Festival at Coverwood Farm, Peaslake on September 3. Cows will be auctioned off for charity, with ‘sponsors’ choosing a charity of their own to benefit from half of the auction proceeds, with the other half going to the Surrey Hills Trust Fund, established in partnership with the Community Foundation for Surrey to conserve and protect the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The fund supports local community projects that benefit the Surrey Hills landscape. CowParade Leader Tim Metson comments: “Cow Parade provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the Surrey Hills, and in particular farming. My family have been farming since the 1950s, and have seen many changes. High land and labour prices, together with the depression in agricultural incomes, create a massive pressure to give up farming or diversify, which does not benefit the Surrey Hills. Cow Parade coming to the Surrey Hills allows us to shine a light on what an important role farmers play as custodians of the landscape”. CowParade Surrey has already secured offers of support from key organisations, including Vines Group BMW and MINI, Gatwick Airport, Denbies Wine Estate, University for the Creative Arts, The Friary Guildford, Waitrose, The Jockey Club and more.

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE www.surrey-chambers.co.uk SMALL BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND EMPLOYMENT ACT Wilkins Kennedy on the latest developments

pril saw the latest tranche of measures from the Government’s Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act (SBEE) coming into force. The Act is a key part of the Government’s overarching project to make the UK the ‘most attractive place to start, finance and run a business’. Given Royal Assent in March 2015, the Act has a long list of new provisions that are coming into force in stages. Last year measures on bearer shares, directors’ personal information, accelerated strike-off of a company and consent to act as a company officer were brought in. This month sees further key aspects of the Act go live.

DIRECTORSHIPS Following on from last year’s measure to ensure individuals do actually consent to their appointment as company officers, this latest part of the bill gives anyone named as a director against their will, or without their knowledge, the right to apply for the relevant notification to be removed from the companies register. If the company cannot supply sufficient evidence that the individual did in fact consent to the appointment, their name will be removed.

REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS (ROA) Companies House will now be empowered to investigate any complaints about companies or LLPs making incorrect or unauthorised use of an address. If the complaint is found to be valid, Companies House will have the power to change a company’s ROA to a default address.

PEOPLE WITH SIGNIFICANT CONTROL (PSC) Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the legislation is that the people with significant control in a private company or LLP are to be named on a public register – though this information will not include a residential address or date of birth, giving important data protection benefits. The register must now be kept up-to-date with the names of all people with what the Act describes as ‘significant control’ over the business. The SBEE defines a PSC as a person who: (i) owns more than 25% of the company’s shares, or; (ii) holds more than 25% of the company’s voting rights, or; (iii) holds the right to appoint or remove the majority of directors, or; (iv) otherwise has the right to exercise, or actually exercises significant influence or control, or; (v) holds the right to exercise, or actually exercises significant control over an arrangement that is not a legal entity, such as a trust, but would satisfy any of the other conditions if it were an individual. This information must be kept from 6 April this year and submitted to Companies House from 30 June. The register cannot be blank. If you have taken all reasonable steps and are confident that there are no individuals or legal entities which meet any of the conditions (i) to (v) in relation to your company or LLP, you must enter that fact on the PSC register. This is an important part of the legislation, and failure to comply with it could constitute a criminal offence for company officers and PSCs alike.

TOP-PERFORMING MAGS

Mags Trench of BarrCo Solicitors has recently been listed as the top performing employment solicitor in London and the South East, as featuring in this week’s Sunday Times “VouchedFor” Top Solicitors List. The rankings see around 3000 solicitors competing for the top spot, depending on the reviews that they have received. The record-highest number of reviews for a solicitor is 95, and Trench holds the highest number for an employment lawyer with 71. Employment law is a constantly evolving sector, dealing with a range of issues such as HR, unfair dismissal, discrimination in the workplace and employees’ work and family rights. Many cases can be time-sensitive and require action to be taken within a quick time frame. This means that it’s important to enlist, as soon as possible, the help of an experienced solicitor who works flexible hours to accommodate the needs of their clients, a key feature of the service provided by BarrCo. In response to being named as the Top-Performing Employment Solicitor, Trench said, “Being a Top-Rated solicitor means a great deal. There are thousands of solicitors in the UK, so to be recognised as one of the most highly reviewed employment specialists is something I’m really proud of achieving. What makes it even more special is that I’ve been selected as a result of support from my clients. It means a lot that they’ve gone out of their way to help me get this award, and I’d like to thank them all.”

WOKING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT by Dave Peet, President, Woking Chamber of Commerce.

CHAMBER NEWS

s I start my two year tenure in office as President of Woking Chamber of Commerce, it seems only natural that my thoughts should turn to ways that I believe we can enhance the Chamber’s profile and offering to its members. One of the main issues I would like to address is to attract more younger members and to get them involved in the Chamber’s committees, including the Executive Committee. New, fresh ideas would be most welcome, and they are particularly stimulating Concorde at Brooklands in long-established organisations like Chambers of Commerce. I also believe it is very important that we extend the range and style of events that we offer our members, and this, I am pleased to say, is now beginning to happen. We have a visit planned to Brooklands Museum on 22 June, which is live and bookable on the Chamber website. We are also at an advanced stage of arranging visits to Bisley Shooting Ground, Tesla Motors in Weybridge and Windsor Castle. All three of these visits look to be very special and I expect them to be fully booked. We are also co-operating with Barclays Bank in organising a speed networking event at DoubleTree by Hilton on Friday, 1 July. Look out for these on the Events section of our website. I would very much like to see the profile of the Chamber raised in the town. We have regular features in both of the local papers, and we are grateful for this, but I would like to see the Chamber name and logo displayed more prominently throughout the town centre. Maybe retailer-members could display stickers saying ‘We are members of Woking Chamber of Commerce’ in their windows, and car drivers

could have small stickers with the Chamber logo displayed in their rear windows. Other ideas would be welcome. And we have our regular main event, of course, the Woking Means Business Exhibition, taking place on October 5th at the HG Wells Conference & Events Centre. This always attracts hundreds of local business people and is well supported by Woking Borough Council. Bookings are well underway and we can expect another great show. We shall be taking a stand at Guildford Means Business at Surrey Sports Park on 14 June, where we will be promoting membership of the Chamber and the Woking Means Business Exhibition. By the end of next month we shall all have had the opportunity of voting on the big EU issue, Remain or Brexit. One way or the other, the decision will have been made, and how it will affect the UK in general, and our members in particular, no one, despite all the rhetoric on both sides, can possibly know. Its going to be very interesting.

www.wokingchamber.org.uk

Membership of Woking Chamber of Commerce starts, for smaller companies, from as little as £10 + VAT per month and can be paid by direct debit at just £10 + VAT per month. Full details are available on the Chamber website www.wokingchamber.org.uk

CROYDON

READY FOR THE AUTO-ENROLMENT TIME BOMB? Croydon Chamber of Commerce member, Jackie Wilding, Partner at Bryden Johnson, shares her expertise

ore than 100,000 of the country’s larger employers are already ‘in’ the government’s automatic enrolment scheme, and by 2018 all SMEs and microcompanies will be too. Companies with fewer than 30 employees are now being phased into the scheme, with many smaller companies facing staging date deadlines in 2016. But how ready are they for the change, which is the UK’s most radical pension overhaul in decades?

Croydon firm Bryden Johnson is one of the few accountancy firms in the country already set-up to deliver auto-enrolment compliance alongside its payroll service and is already working with clients to implement autoenrolment compliance. Partner Jackie Wilding said: “It is really important that business owners understand their duties under the new regulations as the penalties for getting it wrong are quite severe - not just financially in terms of fines, but also in terms of staff’s financial future in retirement.

“We are supporting all our clients through the changes by ensuring we deliver auto-enrolment compliance as part of our payroll services. Many of our SME clients are looking to implement qualifying plans before their staging date, as they recognise the positive impact that early adoption is likely to have on their workforce.” Under the new legislation, all employees over the age of 22 and earning more than £10,000 a year will have a right to a workplace pension. The scheme operates by ensuring all eligible workers (unless they opt out) automatically pay a percentage of their pay into a pension. The employer also contributes, with additional government contributions through tax relief. At present, employers must contribute 1% of an employee’s qualifying earnings, but that will increase to 3% by October 2018. The effect will be that every employer (even if you only have one employee) will have to automatically enrol all eligible staff by 2018. Employers ignoring their auto-enrolment duties will face fines, currently £400, but escalating up to £10,000 per day for continued breach of statutory notices. E: Jackie.wilding@bryden–johnson.co.uk, W: brydenjohnsonpayroll.com The Croydon Chamber of Commerce supports its members with a range of services and business tools to help them grow. Our annual programme of events offers members many enjoyable and effective ways to meet and develop relationships with other businesses, both formally and informally.

COME AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF Get to know us: our Grapevine Network event takes place monthly and we offer non-members the opportunity to try us out. Please get in touch with us to arrange your guest place.

Upcoming Networking Events: • The Grapevine Network, Thursday 30 June, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, Metro Bank, Croydon • Summer BBQ, Thursday 14 July, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, Farleigh Golf Club, Old Farleigh Road, Farleigh. CCCI Members £25.00, Nonmembers £49.00

If you would like to learn more about how Croydon Chamber of Commerce can help your business, please do contact us: T: +44 (0)20 7556 2390 • E: info@croydonchamber.org.uk • W: croydonchamber.org.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

A recent survey found that 74% of SMEs would turn to their accountants or payroll providers for support in complying with the new workplace pensions regulations. However, while around half of the accountancy firms surveyed were able to give advice, just 5% had put systems in place to deliver autoenrolment solutions.

Decisions made now will affect both businesses and their staff for decades to come.

CRANLEIGH

A ‘Marathon’ AGM The guest speaker at the annual Cranleigh Chamber dinner was Susie Chan, a record-breaking endurance runner President Richard Graham for their hard work over the past year. There was time for networking before dinner was served, consisting of slow-cooked belly of pork and tenderloin with a fondant potato, crackling, apple sauce and a Madeira & mushroom sauce, or the vegetarian option of roasted Mediterranean vegetable & mozzarella parcel in filo pastry, served on a bed of roasted new potatoes topped with rocket and green pesto dressing. Membership secretary Roger Coupe invited members to join the 100 Club. This raises money each year to pay for the Cranleigh Christmas Lights, which cost a minimum of £10,000 a year to maintain and display. This year, Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce has a more ambitious financial target of £20,000, which will allow the addition of further lamp post lighting as well as newly lit trees along the Common. An apple & berry crumble tartlet with vanilla ice cream & toffee sauce was served for dessert, after which committee member Martin Bamford previewed upcoming Chamber events for the rest of the year. Once coffees were served, our guest speaker, Susie Chan, took to the stage and shared her remarkable story of a five-year journey from lazy, wine- drinking smoker to world record-breaking endurance runner. Guests had a variety of questions for Susie about her achievements and motivations. Networking continued late into the evening, with members sharing valuable connections and planning future meetings.

CHAMBER NEWS

www.cranleighbiz.co.uk

ifty members and invited guests attended the Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, held in April at Cranleigh Golf & Country Club. Guests were treated to a delicious two-course dinner, followed by an inspirational after-dinner speech by world record-breaking ultra-runner Susie Chan. Susie entertained the room with her tales of ultraendurance madness and left several members feeling suitably inspired to take on their own fitness challenges. Before dinner, the AGM of Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce was held, with two resolutions voted for approval by members: to officially change the name of the organisation to Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce and to convert the Chamber to a new not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Existing officers and committee members were re-elected and thanked by Chamber

Our next networking event is a breakfast meeting, which will be held at Cranleigh School on 15th June. Members will hear from Cranleigh School Headmaster Martin Reader about the business of education, with the option of a guided tour of the prestigious public school after breakfast.

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NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS MR BITCOIN

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. His admission ends years of speculation about who came up with the original ideas underlying the digital cash system. Mr Wright has provided technical proof to back up his claim using coins known to be owned by Bitcoin’s creator. Prominent members of the Bitcoin community and its core development team have also confirmed Mr Wright’s claim. Mr Wright said he planned to release information that would allow others to cryptographically verify that he is Satoshi Nakamoto. Soon after Mr Wright went public, Gavin Andresen, chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation, published a blog backing his claim. “I believe Craig Steven Wright is the person who invented Bitcoin,” he wrote. Jon Matonis, an economist and one of the founding directors of the Bitcoin Foundation, said he was convinced that Mr Wright was who he claimed to be: “During the London proof sessions, I had the opportunity to review the relevant data along three distinct lines: cryptographic, social, and technical,” he said. “It is my firm belief that Craig Wright satisfies all three categories.” Not everyone has been convinced by Mr Wright’s claims and technical proofs. In its article about Mr Wright, The Economist said “important questions remain” about whether he was Satoshi Nakamoto.

WELSH WINE Wales could have 50 vineyards in 20 years’ time, according to one grower who is selling Welsh wine to France. Richard Morris, from Ancre Hill estates winery near Monmouth, said other countries with similar climates, such as Nova Scotia in Canada, have already developed a successful wine industry. There are about 17 vineyards in Wales, according to the Welsh Vineyards Association. Wales produces around 100,000 bottles of wine annually. He told BBC Radio Wales’ Country Focus programme: “We’re predicting by 2035 that we’ll have four to six wineries in Wales, that we’ll have about 50 vineyards. “That’s based on the growth of the wine industry in Nova Scotia, for example, on the eastern seaboard of Canada.

TIME BOMB Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most storied investors, has issued a fresh warning that the complex derivatives lurking on banks’ balance sheets are a “potential time bomb” that could explode in times of stress. The Sage of Omaha told the annual meeting of his company, Berkshire Hathaway, that while he still believes in holding shares in financial firms such as Bank of America, the sector continues to build derivatives that could create “dangerous” jolts in value that would exacerbate a major shock. “Some of these things get so complicated they’re very hard to evaluate... I know one that’s so mismarked it would blow your mind, and the auditors I don’t think are necessarily capable of holding that behaviour in check,” he said.

BANK OF MUM AND DAD Lending from parents to help their children get on the UK property ladder will amount to £5bn in 2016, according to data from Legal & General (L&G). L&G says it means the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad will help to finance 25% of all UK mortgage transactions this year - at an average amount of £17,500. If this lending prowess was combined into a formal business, it would be a top 10 UK mortgage lender, adds L&G. But it warns this method of lending is coming under increasing pressure. "The Bank of Mum and Dad plays a vital role in helping young people to take their early steps on to the housing ladder," said Legal and General chief executive Nigel Wilson. But he said it highlighted a number of important issues, including house prices being "out of sync with wages".

“Sometimes l think war is God’s way of teaching us geography.” 20

NEWS

“The closest a person ever comes to perfection is when they fill out a job application form.”

BIG HORRIBLE SCANDAL Failed retailer BHS, was “crashed into a cliff”, the chairman of the Business Innovation and Skills Committee, Iain Wright, has commented. Mr Wright said leaders of Retail Acquisitions, which bought BHS in 2015 for £1, were “untried and untested”. He also implied that the previous owner, Sir Philip Green, “stripped” the company of cash. Sir Philip is due to answer questions before a joint hearing of two Commons committees at a date of his choice. Mr Wright’s Committee and the Work and Pensions Committee want to ask Sir Philip about the sale of BHS and how it was left with a deficit in its pension fund of £571m. They have also called Arcadia Chairman Lord Grabiner, who has chaired Sir Philip Green’s retail conglomerate since 2002, to appear before the House. “Is it right that people can buy a company, strip it, in many respects, of cash in terms of dividends - without real regard to pensions or to employees and then sell it for a pound to untried and untested people who then crash it into a cliff?” said Mr Wright on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Sir Philip has offered to make an £80m voluntary contribution to the pension fund. That’s £491 million to go then.

NATIONAL LIVING NIGHTMARE

THE BRITISH DILEMMA Sir John Vickers, the architect of the Government’s post-financial crisis banking reforms, has dramatically escalated his battle with the Bank of England over the future safety of the UK’s

To counter the financial pain of the national minimum wage many retail

big banks.

companies are cutting benefits and other conditions for their employees in

Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Sir John said Governor

what they say is a necessary move to allow them to afford paying people

Mark Carney’s recent letter to the Treasury Select Committee

the new, higher minimum wage. Employees are reportedly losing their paid

shows that the Bank’s new domestic capital proposals for

breaks in a move that effectively wipes out all the extra money they would

UK lenders don’t even go as far as those proposed by the

receive from the new National Living Wage.

international regulatory authorities for globally systemic banks.

Such companies are also taking tips rather than distributing them to staff.

Banking reform is more confusing than it needs to be. Sir John

The Government could step in over fears that the voluntary rules the

said this was “ironic” given the Chancellor, George Osborne, has

industry abides by have largely failed.

often spoken of safe domestic banking as a way to address the

The Government introduced the National Living Wage as a way of bumping

“British dilemma” of how to protect the taxpayer while keeping

up the income of low-paid workers, effectively raising the minimum wage to

the UK a competitive base for global banking.

£7.20 for over-25s. While companies can be subject to legal action if they do

Sir John also leaves the Bank of England’s top officials in no doubt that their capital proposals fall well short of what the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) - whose conclusions were accepted by the Chancellor - wanted.

not pay that new wage, they are free to get rid of other perks like lunches or paid breaks as they wish. This change effectively means that the pay increase is wiped out, since it will reduce the number of hours that people are paid for by roughly the same proportion that the wage will go up.

NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS PREGNANT DISCRIMINATION Discrimination against pregnant women and new mothers in the workplace is increasing, with a report saying that some women are having their hours cut, being put on zero hours contracts or even forced out of their jobs. Citizens Advice said it had seen a 25% increase in the number of people asking for advice on pregnancy and maternity issues in the past year, with more than 22,000 visits to its website. One case was of a woman who asked the charity for help after her employer cut her weekly hours by more than half after she told them she was pregnant. While her boss claimed there was simply not enough work available, he had also been taking on new staff. A Government spokesman said that discrimination was “unlawful and completely unacceptable”.

APPLE BITTEN Apple shares have suffered from their longest losing streak since 1998 - the same year the company released its first iMac personal computer. More than $73 billion has been erased from Apple’s market value in recent days with shares falling a further 0.18% this month, the company’s eight consecutive session of losses. The iPhone maker's shares have tumbled 13% since last gaining ground on April 20th. This includes a 6.3% drop on April 27th after Apple reported that quarterly iPhone sales fell for the first time ever and revenue fell for the first time since 2003. Tim Cook , Apple CEO, said that claims the tech firm is dead were a huge overreaction “I couldn’t disagree more,” he said in an interview on CNBC when asked if Apple’s best days were now behind it. The future of Apple is very bright, our future product pipeline has some amazing products." In its latest quarterly results, Apple projected earnings per share of $1.90 compared to estimates of $2, and revenues of $50.6 billion rather than higher estimates of $51.97. iPhone sales, which make up nearly 70% of the company’s overall sales, were hurt as the company sold 10 million fewer devices as in the same period in 2015. Slowing growth in China, an oversaturated market and Apple’s record iPhone sales in 2015, increasingly difficult to replicate, were seen as the reasons behind the disappointing results. Carl Icahn, a billionaire investor who reportedly owned 45.8 million Apple shares at the end of last year, also did not reassure investors when he dumped all of his Apple stock. Not all gloom and doom though as Warren Buffet stepped in and purchased 9.8 million shares at a cost of $1.1 billion.

PROFIT DROP Profits at HSBC fell in the first three months of 2016 as a result of volatility on the global markets in January and February, raising questions about the dividend policy at Britain’s biggest bank. Statutory pre-tax profits in the three months to the end of March fell by 14% to $6.1bn (£4.2bn), which the bank described as “a resilient performance despite challenging market conditions”. If currency movements and other one-off items were excluded, profits fell by 18% to $5.4bn. Stuart Gulliver, HSBC’s chief executive, said: “Market uncertainty led to extreme levels of volatility in January and February, which affected our ability to generate revenue in our markets and wealth management businesses. However, our diversified, universal banking business model helped to cushion the impact through growth in other parts of the bank.” The dividend was held at 10¢ a share and the bank tried to quash concerns that management’s plans to increase the payout each year would be difficult to achieve, by pointing out that earnings for the quarter easily covered the $2.1bn cost of the dividend for those three months.

EUROZONE BOUNCE New figures show the eurozone countries are enjoying an accelerating economic recovery – but the same data shows inflation went negative across the bloc in April. Growth was at 0.6% for the first quarter of this year, double the 0.3% rate seen in the last three months of 2015, the figures from the European Commission's statistics bureau show. Eurostat's data shows that the 19-nation bloc, which does not of course include the UK, now has a bigger combined economy than it did at the start of the financial crisis eight years ago. The two-year race to the bottom of oil prices is one factor – it has benefitted nations that are net oil importers, particularly Germany. The fall in price of the euro has also been good news for major exporters.

“At what age do you think it’s appropriate to tell a roundabout it’s adopted?” 22

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THE IRON LADY

Europe. What would Margaret Thatcher do? By Maarten Hoffmann

THE BIG STORY

hat would Thatcher do? All political movements, however secular, have their pantheon of deities, saints

and inspirational figures. In the modern Conservative party Margaret Thatcher is still the magnetic north, against whom all subsequent Tory leaders have positioned themselves. A lightning rod for equal measures of love and hate, she was the only UK PM who stood up to be counted on the European question - and stood her ground on more than one occasion. As a humble grocer’s daughter from Grantham, Thatcher not only became the first

27% in 1975 to 2.5% by 1986. She believed that

“Most of the problems the world has faced have come from mainland Europe,” she wrote. “And the solutions from outside it.”

the political power of British labor unions had strangled enterprise and placed the country at the mercy of unelected barons. When she removed the legal immunities that protected unions from the financial consequences of their actions and overcame a year-long strike organised by the hard-left leadership of the coal miners’ union, the employee days lost to strikes each year fell from 29.5 million in 1979 to 1.9 million in 1986. She said that taxes were too high and brought the top rate down from 98% to 40%. She declared that the state should not be running British business and led the world in “privatisation”—a word she found ugly,

female PM in 1979, but she galvanised the

but a concept she loved—selling off airlines,

Conservative party and, some might say, the

in 1992, she was given a life peerage as

country.

airports, utilities, and phone and oil companies

Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven in the county

to the private sector. In every case, her critics

Much more than any other modern British

of Lincolnshire, which entitled her to sit in the

said that it could not be done. Yet, for better and

politician - particularly Conservative politicians

House of Lords. After a series of small strokes

for worse, she did it.

accustomed to swimming against a leftish

in 2002, she was advised to withdraw from

cultural tide - Margaret Thatcher fought, and

public speaking. Despite this, she managed to

Margaret Thatcher won. Her victory was so

her that she was alone among men, and

deliver a eulogy to Ronald Reagan at his funeral

powerful men at that. For the Tories, of

in 2004. In 2013 she died of another stroke in

all people, to have chosen a woman was

London at the age of 87.

absolutely astonishing, and Margaret Thatcher

great that it changed her political opponents the Labour Party - as much as it changed her own party. Her defeat of the left made Tony Blair possible. And today, with David Cameron

During her political life, she won the big

having finally led the Conservatives back to

arguments. She argued that inflation was

No. 10 Downing Street and wrestling with

a disease of money that could be cured by

a massive, inherited government deficit, as

controlling the growth of the money supply

Mrs. Thatcher did 30 years earlier, all the old

alone, without suppressing incomes. During

debates have become relevant once more.

her premiership, inflation fell from a high of

Upon moving into 10 Downing Street,

It was a constant source of pleasure to

knew how to exploit it. She knew, first of all, that some of her colleagues were frightened of women and inhibited about arguing with them. This was particularly true of many of the so-called Wets—the liberal Tory grandees who, in the early days, served under her most reluctantly and constantly denigrated her tough economic policies. As a result, though many

Thatcher introduced a series of political and

of them whispered against her, none of them

economic initiatives intended to reverse high

ever dared to confront her directly. In her later

unemployment and Britain’s struggles in

years she came to love adulation, but she never

the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an

had the male’s craving for approval from her

ongoing recession. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation (particularly of the financial sector), flexible labour markets, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Her popularity during her first years in office waned amid recession and high unemployment, until the 1982 Falklands War and the recovering economy brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her re-election in 1983. Thatcher was re-elected for a third term in 1987. During this period her support for a Community Charge (referred to as the “poll tax”) was widely unpopular, and her views on the European Community were not shared by others in her Cabinet. She resigned as Prime Minister

mates: she didn’t have any mates. That made her strong. Traveling on the train from Brighton when the Tories were still in opposition, her private secretary bumped into Laurence Olivier, Britain’s greatest actor, and raised with him the problem of Mrs. Thatcher’s voice, which had attracted so much criticism. Olivier arranged for her to have lessons with the speech coach at the National Theatre, and soon the hectoring tones of the housewife gave way to softer notes and a smoothness that seldom cracked, except under extreme provocation on the floor of the House of Commons. Once, in the twice-weekly Prime Minister’s question time, which became the greatest show in the West End, Margaret Thatcher got so angry

and party leader in November 1990, after

with her opponent that she relapsed into the

Michael Heseltine launched a challenge to her

Lincolnshire dialect of her youth. “He’s frit,” she

leadership. After retiring from the Commons

shrieked, meaning that he was frightened.

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THE BIG STORY

“We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain only to see them re-imposed at a European level, with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels.” It is certainly true, as has been disclosed by

Do you want Britain to be inside a friendly

her official biographer, Charles Moore, that she

association of neighbouring democracies and

was drawn to the case for Britain leaving the

trading partners? Yes. Do you want the loss of

EU during the 1990s. She hinted as much in

national independence that the other members

her 2003 book, Statecraft: “It is frequently said

of this association demand? No. Do you feel

to be unthinkable that Britain should leave the

more European or more Anglo-Saxon? Do you

European Union. But the avoidance of thought

look across the Atlantic or across the English

about this is a poor substitute for judgment,”

Channel? Not sure.

she wrote. She argued on two separate occasions that Britain would probably be better out of the EU. She made a series of speeches in the Lords

At the end of October 1990, Margaret Thatcher returned from an acrimonious EU summit in Rome, where she had been in the position diplomats dread most of all:

criticising the Maastricht Treaty, describing it

isolated. Reporting on the summit to the

as “a treaty too far” and stated, “I could never

House of Commons, she attacked what she

have signed this treaty.” She cited A. V. Dicey But, by and large, she retained the ladylike

said was Jacques Delors’s idea that the

when stating that as all three main parties

modulations she had so carefully acquired.

European Parliament should be the European

were in favour of the treaty, the people should

Community’s House of Representatives, the

have their say in a referendum.

Commission its Executive Branch, and the

Thatcher’s antipathy towards European integration became more pronounced during

Along the same lines—and more

Council Ministers its Senate. With her love

her premiership, particularly after her

extraordinary—was the Single European Act

of repeating the same thing three times, she

third election victory. During a 1988 speech

of 1986, in which Mrs. Thatcher, excited by

shouted, “No, no, no.”

in Bruges she outlined her opposition to

the prospect of a single market in the EU,

proposals from the European Community

signed away much of the British independence

(EC), forerunner of the European Union, for a

of battles against what she saw as the

she valued so greatly. In all these cases, she

federal structure and increased centralisation

excessive powers of Brussels. Europe also

allowed the Foreign Office to push her against

of decision-making. Thatcher and her party

ultimately brought about her downfall as Prime

the grain of her beliefs. She later came to have

had supported British membership of the

Minister, as her increasingly anti-EU views

doubts about what she had done. In the case

EC in the 1975 national referendum, but she

led the pro-Europeans in her party to move to

of the EU, her regret was violent and, for her

believed that the role of the organisation

oust her. Yet Margaret Thatcher had not always

career, terminal.

been so vehemently opposed to European-wide

should be limited to ensuring free trade and effective competition, and feared that the EC’s approach was at odds with her views on smaller government and deregulation. In 1988,

“Europe” lays a curse on British

She passionately fought and won a number

initiatives. In 1975, for instance, she played a

governments of both parties, because it

key role in campaigning for the UK to remain in

presents a dilemma they can never resolve.

the European Community. And in 1978 she

she remarked, “We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them re-imposed at a European level, with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels.” Thatcher was firmly opposed to the UK’s membership of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, a precursor to European monetary union, believing that it would constrain the British economy, despite the urging of her Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson and Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe, but she was persuaded by John Major to join in October 1990, at what proved to be too high a rate.

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THE BIG STORY was arguing for consideration of a common European approach to defence. In 1980, she called for the UK’s contributions to the then EEC to be adjusted, warning that otherwise she would withhold VAT payments. “I want my money back!” she exclaimed. The battle lasted four years and finally ended in victory for Thatcher but damaged relations with other EC countries. Then came Westland - Michael Heseltine’s battle to keep the helicopter company in European hands with a takeover by a European consortium. Mrs Thatcher was insistent that the US firm Sikorsky should have it instead. She won, he quit and the affair caused further

“And the solutions from outside it.” As the debate about a possible British

In her 2002 book, Statecraft, she suggested the European single currency was an attempt to create a “European super state” and would fail “economically, politically and socially.”

It’s a situation that causes some baﬄement among US admirers, who are unable to

departure from the EU gathers pace, she

understand why she is not revered in Britain

is expected to be invoked repeatedly in the

as much as Reagan is in his homeland. It was

coming months. And that tug-of-war reveals

the Reagan centre that provided the inspiration

a peculiar wrinkle to her legacy: for, as

in 2009 for what still remains the most

long as the battle about the meaning of her

significant initiative to physically commemorate

premiership goes on, another on how she

Thatcher – a British centre that would house a

should best be memorialised also continues

museum and run courses aimed at spreading

with vigour. Where her cold-war ally Ronald

the Thatcherite message. Having been refused

Reagan is remembered with an elaborate

an honorary degree by her alma mater, Oxford

presidential library and museum, plans for a

University, the current proposed site is the

bricks-and-mortar monument to Thatcher have

University of Buckingham, the UK’s only private

yet to get off the ground.

university operating under a royal charter,

“Her legacy was so divisive and polarising that it is difficult – and we saw this in the

where she was a former chancellor. “Visitors will have an opportunity to be

arguments over the funeral – to capture her for

photographed in front of a replica door to 10

the country as a whole rather than just for the

Downing Street and to sit around the table

Conservative party in particular,” says historian

in the Cabinet Room,” promises the centre’s

Tim Bale, author of The Conservative Party

website, on which visitors are told, in terms

from Thatcher to Cameron. “There is an extent

that some may find ominous: “She delivered.

to which she is one of those prophets who are

Now it’s our turn.”

concern among pro-European Tories. It was

honoured more abroad than they are at home,

blatantly obvious that she felt an affinity with

possibly because of her legacy in eastern

and Lady Thatcher’s official biographer, she

the US rather than Europe. Her relationship

Europe and America.”

remains “potentially explosive” inside its ranks,

For Charles Moore, the party’s former leader

with Ronald Reagan was one of the defining partnerships of her premiership and she enjoyed an equal connection to the Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev. What other UK PM in history had forged such close relations with the world’s two superpowers? She held them both in her sway. In her 2002 book, Statecraft, she suggested the European single currency was an attempt to create a “European super state” and would fail “economically, politically and socially.” She called for a “fundamental re-negotiation” of Britain’s links with the EU, stopping short of calling for withdrawal, but nevertheless suggesting that the UK should pull out of common agricultural, fisheries, foreign and defence policies. “Most of the problems the world has faced have come from mainland Europe,” she wrote.

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XERO AWARD WINNER 2016

THE BIG STORY

I don’t sit around, for example, thinking: ‘Was Alexander the Great right to invade India?’ What I want to know is: ‘Was he important, and why does it matter?’ owing to residual feelings about the manner

after her, which is very unusual, for better or

of her departure, but he too argues that there

for worse, and also she was there at the time

has been a lessening of public and media

of the end of the cold war. So, she wasn’t your

antipathy towards her, making it easier for the

average prime minister.”

Conservatives to deploy her legacy. “I’ve noticed this writing the books, that

At a Spectator readers’ evening, Andrew Neil interviewed Moore about his biography

people now see her much more as she

of Margaret Thatcher. He asked him if, after

obviously is, as an historical figure. On the

leaving office, Lady Thatcher had come to the

whole, her reputation has grown, because, in a

view that Britain should leave the European

period when there is a general feeling that the

Union. “I said yes (I think it happened after the

west lacks leadership, it’s very clear that even

Maastricht Treaty in 1992), although advisers

if you don’t like it, she achieved an enormous

had persuaded her that she should not say

amount and knew where she was going on most things. “The more time passes, the less you ask about whether she was right or wrong. I don’t sit around, for example, thinking: ‘Was Alexander the Great right to invade India?’ What I want to know is: ‘Was he important, and why does it matter?’” To illustrate the interest in her beyond Britain, Moore recalls sitting in on last year’s auction of Thatcher’s memorabilia at Christie’s: “You had these extraordinary bids coming from Singapore, China, Russia, Poland and so on, and it’s just inconceivable that that would happen with any other British leader except Churchill. All over the world, you had people paying colossal prices for these things.” Still, levels of antipathy towards Thatcher remain deeprooted at home in Britain, surpassed perhaps only by those in Argentina. Such campaigns aside, those who disagree with the contention that she has become a less divisive figure include Antony Seldon, the

this in public since it would have allowed her opponents to drive her to the fringes of public life.” And here we arrive bang up-to-date with Leave campaigners being harassed and driven to the fringes of public life. Cameron called on the big guns and Obama obediently arrived to blast Boris, Grove and IDS. Nothing to lose there, of course, as he is out of office shortly. The socalled ‘project fear’ campaign does feel just like that, terrifying the man in the street that great, furious wrath will befall us if we leave. Terrifying business into the belief, right or wrong, that profits will plummet upon exit. J.P Morgan even went so far as to pay Peter Mandelson a king’s ransom to lecture their 15,000 British staff about the dangers of departure. I fight to restrain myself from comment, but as this is the referendum In or Out issue leading up to June 23rd, l guess my colours are nailed to the flag post on page 39. If we had a leader with the strength of

University of Buckingham’s Vice-Chancellor

character of a Margaret Thatcher, we might

and a biographer of three other prime

recognise that we are a highly unique country

ministers, who cites the reaction to her death

with a depth of talent, skill, innovation and

“from communities who had their hearts ripped

creativity, with which we could, and do, take

out by her policies, whether necessary or not.”

on the world. We are a country of 64.1 million

“The interesting thing about her is how

people, and yet we punch with the big guys

totemic a figure she is, with either a toxic or

of 300 million plus. We are the fifth-largest

deity status, depending on who you are,” adds

economy in the world. The US has the top spot,

Seldon, who believes that plans to memorialise

and the entire European Union of 27 countries

her at the university would be a “huge

takes the second spot, with China, Japan and

attraction.”

Germany filling in the next three, but there we

“I think they are just trying to find the money.

are, all on our lonesome, at number 5.

But I do think there will be a Thatcher museum,

This country excels in so many sectors it

because she was around for 11 years, which is

barely needs mentioning. Can we stand on our

historic, won three election victories, changed

own? Of course we bloody can. Should we?

the face of the country and had an ‘-ism’ named

Well, that’s up to you to decide on June 23rd.

LEGAL

BE SMART How will new data protection laws affect the Internet of Things? asks Lisa Downs, Partner at Rawlison Butler www.rawlisonbutler.com

ith new data protection laws coming into force in 2018, it is now time to focus on what businesses involved in developing smart devices need to take into account to avoid potential fines of up to 4% of global turnover for failure to comply with the new laws. In addition to a number of key privacy and security messages, the new data protection regulations mean that businesses will (amongst other things) need to consider the following: • Relying on an individual’s consent to process personal data will be much harder and it is likely that businesses will need to rely on one of the other lawful grounds to process personal data. • Biometric data has now been acknowledged as sensitive personal data, so if this is used within a smart device, explicit consent to use it will be required from the individual. • Personal data: ◗◗ Can only be collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes (for instance, the proper use/functioning of a smart device) and not further processed in a way which is incompatible with the original purpose(s) ◗◗ Collected from individuals must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the use/ functioning of a smart device. Businesses

can’t collect more personal data than is absolutely necessary for a smart device to be used/function ◗◗ Can only be kept in a form which permits identification of individuals for no longer than is necessary for the use/functioning of a smart device. Businesses will have to have data retention policies and systems which will either enable personal data to be (i) deleted after a certain period of time or (ii) no longer associated with that individual

“There are potential fines of up to 4% of global turnover for failure to comply with the new laws.”

◗◗ Must be portable to another party. Businesses will have to ensure that personal data provided by an individual is in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form, so that if an individual changes smart device providers,

their personal data can be easily transferred ◗◗ Must be processed in a way that ensures protection against any security breach, particularly smart devices which generate large amounts of data from diverse locations, because the potential for cyberhacking/spying substantially increases • Notification must be made of security breaches which lead to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed by the smart device. Businesses will have to have appropriate security policies and procedures in place to enable them to act within legal timescales. Businesses need to act now. The extent of changes needed, and financial costs which will be incurred, should not be underestimated. If you are a business operating, or looking to operate, in this domain and you would like further advice on what you need to do to ensure you don’t get fined, please contact Lisa Downs (ldowns@rawlisonbutler.com or 01293 558593). This document is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this document.

THE EUROPEAN REFERENDUM What a mess. David Cameron made the promise of a referendum when he thought he needed an extra bullet in his gun for the last election and then having won, realised that he would actually have to go through with it. And here we are with domestic and international matters put on the back burner whilst the continent is entranced with the vote. And now we hear that the Dutch and Czechs are talking of a referendum. Few can doubt that there are problems to come whichever way the vote goes but the resounding voice of business says let’s just get it over and done with and get back to work, as this uncertainty is slowing down business, hampering acquisitions and, essentially, has halted international investment whilst all this doubt is in the air. This has been a shamefully negative campaign on both sides, with fear and loathing a plenty and just as the Tories get a clear run, with Labour in such disarray, they revert to type and start in-fighting with blue-on-blue battles raging on every front. There is little doubt that this is an enormously important vote and in light of this, we have canvassed the region for comment and trawled through the archives for some explosive quotes, and l beg you to search, as they are not very hard to find but are quite eye opening, and hint at a slight contempt for Britain and the rule of democracy. Something the British hold very dear. Do we try to fix that from within or from without? We have until June 23rd to decide.

“There is now huge pressure on our population, due to

“I am voting to stay in the EU because I am

an unasked-for experiment in uncontrolled immigration

frightened. Frightened of the rise of Islamism

that has seen millions added to the population of the UK

across the world and what it means in terms of the

in the past two decades. We now have no choice but to

battle of civilisations. Frightened of a re-emergent Russia,

take back control of our borders. To allow

recreating colonial outposts in Syria, her actions in the

uncontrolled immigration is where

Ukraine and poisoning her own citizens on British soil.

the danger lies as, over the next decade, we will

Frightened of the future of an existential threat to Israel

need to build 16 more Birminghams.

facing the arrival of ISIS in Gaza. Frightened of the return of

This is totally unsustainable and l will vote to leave.

”

George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury

”

major terrorist atrocities to Western Europe.

Robert Halfon, Conservative MP for Harlow

“The EU is the old Soviet Union dressed in Western clothes.” President Mikhail Gorbachev

“Now we’ve signed it – we had better read it. ”

“We decide on something, leave

Douglas Hurd, former Foreign Secretary on the Maastricht Treaty

“The European Union is currently a state under construction. The construction of one state is its final conclusion.

”

Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs

it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back. When it becomes serious, you have to lie. There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties

”

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission

“The [EU] Council of Ministers will have far more power over the budgets of member states than the federal government in the United States has over the budget of Texas.

”

Jean-Claude Trichet, head of the European Central Bank 2003-2011

“They must go on voting until they get it right.” Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, 2004 - 2014. President of Portugal, 2002 - 2004

“I think if l were British, l would probably want to get out. It wouldn’t make any difference to me if you were in Europe or not and you would certainly not be at the back of the queue” Donald Trump, Republican candidate for US President

DAVID CAMERON Prime Minister

✔

It is rather like that scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian - ‘What’s Europe ever done for us? Well, apart from the market of 500 million people, the regional grants, the access to the market, the support for our universities. Well other than that... take Welsh farming. That market of 500 million people means there are no quotas, there are no tariffs, there are no taxes, there are no restrictions - you can sell as much Welsh lamb, Welsh beef, Welsh pork into that market. Imagine swapping that for the situation that some other countries have outside the European Union, where you have restrictions, you might have quotas, you might have tariffs, and we wouldn’t have access to that market.

RICHARD POLLINS Managing Partner, DMH Stallard

Director, Lime Consultancy

✔

✘

CEO, Gatwick Diamond Business

✔

Like many people, I often find myself agreeing with the last person I spoke to or heard talking about the issue. Those who trade internationally have said that an exit will create a more difficult trading environment and may impact their ability to work on the international stage. We have seen a slowdown or a temporary hold put on a number of investment decisions until the date of the Referendum. Whilst there are a number who probably feel it will make no difference as they don’t see themselves as trading internationally, any negative impact on the economy, even from uncertainty, will work it’s way down. Business and the economy requires some degree of stability and certainty and so, based on the fact that leaving creates more of an unknown future, I am leaning towards staying in. If we leave then I feel we will be in a marginally weaker position on the world stage.

BORIS JOHNSON MP for Uxbridge & South Ruislip

✘

This is like the jailer has accidentally left the door of the jail open and people can see the sunlit land beyond and everybody is suddenly wrangling about the terrors of the world outside. Actually it would be wonderful. It would be a huge weight lifted from British business.”

✔

One of the aims of the EU was to ensure alliance and co-operation govern the future rather than raw conflict and aggression. The rise of nationalist and fundamentalist movements should concern the EU and make it mend its ways, but also means the union is as important as it ever was. It is undoubtedly imperfect, but needs to be improved not abandoned. Britain has political and trade integration but monetary separation, which has proved to be the best option. Leaving would see trade with the remaining countries being more difficult for British businesses.

Sportsman

✘

It is insane that because we are in the EU we cannot reach our own agreements to trade freely with emerging markets, like China and India. We have lost the right to govern ourselves. It is wrong that we have to discriminate against talented people from outside Europe as we are legally bound to accept uncontrolled immigration from within the EU. This country should stand proud and reclaim our independence.

JEREMY CORBYN

The question for me is what I think would benefit my children so I am looking at the medium and long term. I don’t think there is an economic argument for leaving, that said, economic forecasts are rarely accurate even on a domestic level so nobody really knows. I am not a hyper nationalist, I just think Europe is a collection of nations with very different needs. My clients are all bespoke and one solution never fits ideally with more than one client and that is how I see Europe. The only way to instigate bespoke solutions for Britain is by having the ability to change and I just don’t see that as being possible inside the EU.

JEREMY TAYLOR

Chairman, Mayo Wynne Baxter

SIR IAN BOTHAM OBE

From a business perspective, I think it is very difficult to argue against the benefits of the UK remaining in the EU. The position is not perfect and there are of course some issues that don’t suit the UK entirely, but on balance I think the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Collective strength in Europe has to be a positive in today’s rapidly changing world. A united Europe will give us the strength we need to adapt and to compete.

DAVID FARMER

DEAN ORGILL

Labour Leader

✔

The Labour Party is overwhelmingly for staying in. Because we believe the EU has brought investment, jobs and protection for workers, consumers and the environment and offers the best chance of meeting the challenges we face in the 21st century.

RAY FOSS Director, Britaniacrest Recycling

✘

The cost of membership is too high. Charity begins at home i.e. the UK, we should look after our own people like Doctors/Nurses/Teachers/the Army/ RAF/Navy /the Steel industry, just to name a few. We all want better hospitals and schools which are at breaking point.

WIM DUISENBERG first president of the EU Central Bank

✔

“The process of monetary union goes hand in hand, must go hand in hand, with political integration and ultimately political union. EMU [economic and monetary union] is, and always was meant to be, a stepping stone on the way to a united Europe”

KEVIN PITTS Director, Red Care Logistics

✘

I am optimistic we can benefit long term from Brexit, especially as the UK transport industry – to & from Europe is hurting badly. We are being undercut by as much as 55% on everything as they are generally only paid 40-50 Euros per day & it is becoming very hard to find niches which they haven’t touched on yet, so we hope it may be more difficult for the Eastern Europeans to come into the UK. Therefore, I believe my views are self explanatory & not by any means racist.

“

That such an unnecessary and irrational project as building a European super-state was ever embarked on will seem in future years to be perhaps the greatest folly of the modern era. And that Britain should ever have become part of it will appear a political error of the first magnitude.” Lady Thatcher, Statecraft

“We should frankly recognise

“I look forward to the day when the

this surrender of sovereignty and its purpose.”

Westminster Parliament is just a council chamber in Europe.”

Edward Heath, Prime Minister, 1970 - 1974

Kenneth Clarke, Conservative Chancellor in International Currency Review

“Public opinion will be led to adopt, without knowing it, the proposals we dare not present to them directly. All the earlier proposals will be in the new text, but will be hidden and diguised” Valery Giscard D’Estang, President of France, 1974 - 1981

“I have never understood why public

opinion about European ideas should be taken into account at all, Raymond Barre, Prime Minister of France, 1978 - 1981

”

“Of course, Britain could survive

outside the EU...we could probably get access to the Single Market as Norway and Switzerland do…” Tony Blair, former Prime Minister, 2000

MICHAEL GOVE MP for Surrey Heath, Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice.

✘

When Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey join the EU, another 88 million people will soon be eligible for NHS care and school places for their children. And what will even more immigration from the EU mean for access to housing across the UK? How many more homes will we need and how many more green acres will go? What will it mean for jobs and wages? Can we maintain the apprenticeships we need, safeguard the jobs of the future and ensure people can maintain a decent standard of living, when up to 88 million people from nations much poorer than our own will have the right to live and work here? As we introduce the National Living Wage, the pull of the UK could prove irresistible.

FRANCOIS HOLLANDE President of France

JOHN MAJOR MICHAEL HESELTINE Deputy Prime Minister, 1995 - 1997

✔

One day, we will join the euro. There’s no hurry and I don’t think it’s going to happen in my lifetime. It’ll be controversial. But when we adopted the metric measurements, there was great controversy over that – the metres and the litres. Nobody can remember what the argument was now. You talk to the younger generation and they think you’re slightly off the planet. The Americans fought a civil war over the dollar, not that long ago in terms of human history. It took a long time to make the dollar work.

TSOL KEOSHGERIAN CEO, Unibind Systems Ltd

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Big government kills progress through over bureaucracy. The EU is the biggest unelected, unaccountable bureaucracy of all. The laws they make harm the UK more than any other. We are a very progressive, entrepreneurial ‘nation of shopkeepers’. Without our wings being clipped by Brussels we will once again regain our ‘Great’ Britain tag and lead the world in Tech, Commerce, Industry and Finance. Our monarchy, parliament, judiciary and language has given us stability for a thousand years and is the envy of the world. Don’t give it up to a failing experiment!

DAVID BYWATER Partner, KPMG.

Whilst I have my own opinion on whether or not we should leave the EU, and whether the UK will be more or less prosperous by remaining in the EU, my opinion, just like those of others can only be based to a large extent on the fine art of gazing into a crystal ball. Having said that, one thing on which I can be certain is the long term uncertainty which a vote for a Brexit would inevitably bring; businesses do not like uncertainty!

SCOTT PAWLEY Managing Director, Global Travel Management

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Global Travel Management is a UK success story: bespoke, quality customer service achieving steady profit and operations growth, supported by major software initiatives. I have shared these with my peers because I believe that as a group of SMEs we are stronger and more likely to succeed. By the same token the UK is better as a part of the EU. UK business travel hinges on Heathrow where a third runway will help maintain its leading international role. However, even this is at risk unless we act as part of the EU to maintain leverage against Istanbul’s airport expansion plans.

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I don’t want to scare you, but I just want to say the truth. There will be consequences if the UK quits the EU. There will be consequences in many areas: the single market, financial trade, economic development between our two countries. That doesn’t mean that everything will be destroyed - I don’t want to dwell on this vision of catastrophe. But there will be consequences, including on the issue of people. It will not obviously put in question the friendly relations between France and the UK, but there will be consequences, including in the way we handle the situations that we just mentioned, in terms of migration.

Prime Minster, 1990 - 1997

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In the modern world of interconnectivity, you have to share sovereignty or you find yourself isolated and weaker. Our prime concern must surely be the economic well-being of our country and the political and diplomatic clout that our country has and both of those in my judgement are better within the EU, working with our partners.’

DAVID SHEPPARD Chairman, Sussex Chamber of Commerce Founder/Director, D-RisQ Ltd.

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This referendum is a disaster, called for political reasons only to save the Tory party from further squabbles over our place in Europe. Business and the economy thrive on stability, an ability to plan for the future, a more certain outlook. Exit undermines all of this for the sake of…. nationalism? Spare me the national ego, I rather like having the European institutions to provide balance to the worst of our home grown political behaviour, to make our leaders think twice before taking our civil liberties away under the guise of national interest. Get Europe off the agenda, we have businesses to run!

GATWICK DIAMOND SURVEY

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In the hope that they might get a clear steer, Jeremy Taylor recently surveyed 500 business people from the membership and beyond. At the time of writing, the vote is strongly for staying in the EU (79%) but there are concerns on the influence that the Union has on our finances, regulatory regime and sovereignty. 19% of those who responded would vote to leave whilst 2% are still undecided.

THEO PAPHITIS CEO Rymans

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Obama, what was he thinking? This is Great Britain not a third world country run by some tinpot dictator. I think whoever was advising him must be an idiot. I am not going to vote stay. There is no doubt that in the medium term, leaving will make no difference to trade. Whoever tells you otherwise is mad, because it defies every piece of logic and trade in the history of man.

“I think that the European Union, like the Soviet Union, cannot be democratized. Gorbachev tried to democratize it and it blew up. These kind of structures cannot be democratized.” Vladimir Bukovsky, Russian dissident

“The European system of supranationality comes at the cost of democracy.” Lord Leach of Fairford, Deputy Chairman, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Plc

“The day of the nation state is over.” Roman Herzog, German president, 1996

“The most powerful Parliament in Europe is the European Parliament. There will be no repatriation of EU powers.” Vivianne Reding, EU Vice-President, 2010 - 2014

“Britain must stay in the EU - to save us from the Germans.” Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek Finance Minster

“Once the interlude of [WWI] was over, [countries] all went back to the rules and customs of traditional parliamentary democracies. I felt out of my depth.” Jean Monnet, Father of Europe

“Britain is different. Of course

there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?” Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission

“It will not be any European

statesman who will unite Europe: Europe will be united by the Chinese.” Charles De Gaulle, former French President

MAARTEN HOFFMANN Director, Platinum Business Publications

✘

I cannot support the IN campaign no matter how hard l try. Our sovereignty and security is wrapped up in who we are. We are a sovereign nation with a Queen and a proud and hard won heritage of strength, independence and punching way above our weight. To be absorbed into a union with nations that, to be frank, are economically and socially beneath us is to drag us down. We are unique. I like being unique and therefore we must get out of the experiment and do what we have always done since time immemorial; forge our own path. This is not about staying in the current EU. This is about being in a union that, to be realistic, is falling apart. Banks in the Eurozone have a £715 billion black hole in their books, according to the IMF. The economies of France, Italy, Spain and Greece are all basket cases. The deal just signed by Germany (on our behalf) with Turkey prevents 3 million refugees coming to Europe by agreeing to allow access to 79 million Turks! Then the Schengen Agreement will fall and all borders will open. The UK infrastructure is groaning at the seams and with on-going austerity measures to reduce our debt, we are cutting services at a time when the demand for them has increased faster than at any time in our history. The value of British exports to the EU has plummeted, with a drop of 18.5%, whilst Germany’s have risen by 20% over the same period. The EU is failing British businesses. Big business is falling out of love with the EU with Superdrug founder, Peter Goldstein, Sony VP, Steve Dowdle, Goldman Sachs MD, David Sismey and Sir Patrick Sheehy, former Chairman of British American Tobacco all recommending leave. Former BOE Governor, Mervyn King, recommends leaving stating that Brussels red tape is strangling British business whilst helping European companies. He also stated that the euro might soon ‘explode’. Then where will we be? As sure as eggs is eggs, if we vote to remain, we will eventually see the demise of sterling. A recently leaked ‘secret’ document written by German politicians states that there should be an EU Army, with Germany assuming leadership. Departure will hurt in the short term, and that includes my businesses, but it’s time to be unselfish and think of our children and the world they will inherit. Great Britain is strong, unique, resilient, creative, wealthy, independent, and the 5th largest economy on earth and does not deserve to be swallowed up by a loose collection of tanking economies with a work ethic that, in some areas, is Dickensian. Any group eventually sinks to the lowest common denominator in a race to the bottom and no matter how hard the UK and Germany work, we will never be able to carry the weight of 26 failing states and, in the end, the entire edifice will crumble and the UK will be lost forever. Set us free and watch us soar.

IAN TREVETT Director, Platinum Business Publications

✔

At last, it’s almost over; farewell at last to the vitriol of Project Fear. I don’t mean the legion of economists pointing out the blindingly obvious fact that Brexit will have a negative impact on our GDP and growth. I want an end to the REAL Project fear unleashed by Brexit’s attack dogs at the Mail and Express, with their grim predictions of swarms of scrounging immigrants flooding our streets and imposing Sharia law. 79 million on their way from Turkey? Forget the inconvenient fact that proposed relaxations of Turkish visas apply only to the Schengen zone, which Britain has opted out of. Brexit has retreated to its default position of provoking fear of aliens. Shame. Aside from the tiresome rhetoric, the most revealing interventions to the debate have come from outside Europe. The rest of the world thinks we are insane to even consider leaving one of the world’s most powerful trading blocks. The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe: “Many Japanese companies set up their operations in the UK precisely because the UK is a gateway to the EU. A vote to leave would make the UK less attractive as a destination for Japanese investment.” President Obama: “It could be five years from now, 10 years from now before we’re actually able to get something done,” Or more succinctly: “Get to the back of the queue.” Hillary Clinton agrees, and don’t expect any UK favours from Trump. The IMF: “It’s going to be pretty bad to very, very bad.” The Australians: “The EU is a significant trading partner for us, a strong UK as part of the European Union would be in Australia’s interests.” New Zealand feels the same way. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi: “As far as India is concerned, if there is an entry point for us to the EU, that is the UK.” And on and on it goes. Trading with UK is far more attractive if we are in. What is most galling for the Brexiters is that every world leader contradicts their very reason for wanting to leave. They believed that the UK on its own would be in a better position to trade with the Commonwealth and America - and at every turn these natural partners slap down any such thoughts. I’d predict that the only world leader who welcomes Brexit is Putin, who would love to see a weaker Europe. Shunned and rejected, the Leavers lash out and accuse Obama of being anti-British and Christine Lagarde of handing out favours to the Government. Burning bridges and making enemies, who can possibly trust these people? Boris, please stick to incoherent cameos on Have I Got News For You, and stop risking our country’s future.

Maarten’s chosen quote:

Ian’s chosen quote:

“We have our own dream and our own task.

“If the UK leaves the EU and there is a

We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked but not combined. We are interested but not absorbed. If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea.”

loss of freedom of movement of scientists between the UK and Europe it will be a disaster for UK science and universities.” Stephen Hawking (and The Royal Society)

Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister, May 11th 1953 39

ACCOUNTANCY

THE WORLD IS CHANGING… Kreston Reeves and Spofforths to merge Kreston Reeves offices, Gatwick

wo well-known firms of accountants and business advisers in Sussex and Kent are

planning to merge this summer. Spofforths is a long-established, successful firm of chartered accountants, business, tax and financial advisers with four offices across Sussex, located in Horsham, Worthing, Chichester and Brighton. Kreston Reeves is similarly wellestablished, with six offices across Sussex, Kent and London, in London, Canterbury, Chatham, Discovery Park (Sandwich), Eastbourne and Gatwick (Crawley). The increasing needs for integrated advisory services and a buoyant transactions market are bringing real opportunities in the business, tax and wealth arenas. This merger will create a new firm with a depth of people and breadth of resource, for example in the digital sphere, or in their sectors of focus: to move the firm to its next stage of development. The new firm’s footprint and focus may be evolving with the market – but one priority will still remain the same: to provide excellent service to all clients, helping each to achieve their business and individual goals. The teams at Kreston Reeves and Spofforths are planning to combine forces with effect from 1st June, 2016, creating one of the largest accountancy and financial-advisory firms in the South East - from two of its most successful practices. This is a major step to create a new firm offering clients a greater depth of resource and breadth of service, with additional sector expertise. It will also provide a stronger base upon which to develop a range of new services with which to meet changing business needs.

ACCOUNTANCY

Local advice. International reach.

Spofforths offices, Brighton

Nigel Fright, Managing Partner of Kreston Reeves, said: “We are delighted by the prospect of this merger, which reflects our mutual ambition to expand in the South East. Spofforths is a successful firm that shares our values and strong personal commitment to clients. “Together, the new firm will be able to offer our people better career opportunities, retaining, yet developing, the teams we know our clients value. We see great potential in joining together in an evolving market, where standing still is not an option. “The result will be a fuller, more innovative, more integrated accounting, business-advisory and financial planning service, delivered by 55 partners and more than 450 staff, spread across 10 locations in the South East. Crucially, it will expand our international reach, which was at the heart of Kreston Reeves’ own renaming in 2015.” The current firms’ leadership teams include partners who are influential in both the accountancy sector and their local communities. Mark Spofforth OBE is a Past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and High Sherriff of West Sussex from March 2016. He has also recently been appointed to serve on The Charities Commission’s New SORP Committee. Clive Stevens, Kreston Reeves’ Chairman, and Alex Spofforth both serve on the Council of the ICAEW. Clive Stevens is a past Chairman and main Board Member of Kreston

• academies and education

International, the firm’s overseas network.

• agriculture

There will be a transitional period during which Spofforths will

• charities and not-for-profit

embrace the Kreston Reeves brand and the two firms integrate people,

• healthcare

processes and systems. Thereafter, the firm will be known as Kreston

• life sciences

Reeves LLP.

• manufacturing

A step forward Richard Spofforth, Spofforths’ Horsham-based Managing Partner, says: “The merger is being undertaken by both firms from a position of strength, with each bringing skills and experience to the other. It’s going to be an exciting time for all of us; it’s a joint step forward, and together we’re going to build a firm for the future that responds to all the changes around us. “Our clients will continue to be looked after by the people they have always known. What will change is an increase in the depth and breadth of services we can offer.” The new firm will continue to service the needs of entrepreneurial and growing businesses, and on the needs of wealthy and private individuals, with a particular and combined focus on the following sectors:

• private wealth • professional practices • property & construction and • technology “For all the combined partners and staff there will be greater career development, fulfilment and all the other benefits that come from working as part of an ambitious and expanding firm,” says Clive Stevens, Chairman of Kreston Reeves and Supervising Partner for the firm’s Crawley office. The two firms will announce further details of the merger, and of its management team, in late May 2016. For more information about the two firms, visit our websites at www. spofforths.co.uk or www.krestonreeves.com

INTERVIEW

FOOTPRINTS FOR GOOD Bob Holt, chairman of Mears Group, was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for his work in business and The Footprints Foundation, which he set up in 2008. Mears is the leading social-housing repairs and maintenance provider in the UK and a major presence in the home care and support market. Interview by Ian Trevett

You are known for your role in building up the Mears Group to a company that employs over 20,000 people in the UK. How did you start out in business? In the 1980s I was fortunate enough to work for two of the most successful entrepreneurs in the UK: Lord Ashcroft (former Conservative party chairman) and Tony Berry of Blue Arrow. I had a fantastic experience working for these two guys. Without them, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today, as they inspired me and made me want to do it for myself. When you build a public company, you have to have a profile, but I wanted the profile to be myself and Mears to be the brand. If you were to look at the early profile of Mears, it would certainly include Bob Holt, and you’d always see Bob Holt with a Mears’ van parked at the side of him. I was always conscious that I was trying to build a brand. It’s been a huge success, not down to me, but down to me and a team of people.

How did you become involved with Mears? I bought it as a small business and I came in as chairman and chief executive. In 2005 we brought in a chief executive from outside, but it didn’t work out, sadly. So I came back full-time as chief executive and chairman. In 2008/9, I handed over the reins to David Miles and he’s been running it ever since, doing a fantastic job. He uses the chairman, if he wants,

“I’m seen as a classic entrepreneur, but I don’t see myself as that at all. I see myself as a team-builder.”

as a sounding board. I don’t cross his path on everything in the business because he wouldn’t want me to. We speak regularly when we need to.

What was the secret to growing the company so quickly? The senior team has never been frightened of hard work. You need luck, we picked the right sector; it needed change and we created that change. We were certainly catalysts for the improvement in local authority outsourcing. We were new market entrants at the time, we were first to market with a different service, based on service rather than on price, so that, I think, put us in pole position. Towards the end of the 1990s Tony Blair allowed local authorities to buy on value and service rather than on price and it brought out the terminology ‘best value’. This was a big catalyst for local authorities and the services are now substantially ahead of where they were 20 years ago. We were the only real player in town selling on service and

INTERVIEW

“By lighting Winnie Ramsbottom’s fire I was doing my community service. It was put in my blood at an early age that this is the thing you do.” that has been happening since day one. It has clearly taken on a whole life of its own, but it’s a fantastic organisation.

value. During the 2000s we were seeing 40% growth year-on-year. As we had confidence that we would continue to grow, we were always recruiting. I always look for people for the next stage of growth, to ensure we are ahead of the curve. There were new market entrants that failed. We concentrated and carried on at what we were good at. That’s the same story today.

You are well known for your charitable work. Was there a point when you made a decision to give something back? I don’t think there was a time when I consciously said it’s now time to give back. I grew up in the north of England and my parents had grocery shops. When l came home from school l wouldn’t be told to do my homework, l’d be told to go round and light Winnie’s fire, or go and take Mrs Clarkson’s food round, or pull her out of the bath. In other words, I was immersed in the community. This was 50 years ago, before supermarkets. This was the corner shop mentality, which was community-based. Although I never thought about it at the time, by lighting Winnie Ramsbottom’s fire I was doing my community service. It was put in my blood at an early age that this is the thing you do. Mears operates in some of the more difficult communities throughout the country. There are over 300 offices nationwide, and every day there is something happening in Mears which is community-based, and I’d like to think

You set up The Footprints Foundation in 2008 to tackle the problems and issues facing disadvantaged and vulnerable people, and those people with significant health issues. The vision is to nurture the skills and qualities of young people through learning opportunities and so help them to develop their self-esteem and promote in them a positive attitude to help them achieve their ambitions and goals. The charity supports schemes in the UK and across the globe, notably South Africa. Why the strong emphasis there? We were always looking for somewhere sustainable we could go back to year-onyear. We found that in South Africa about seven years ago. We currently support seven orphanages out there. We are looking and profiling, at the moment, a couple more, deciding whether we bring those into the portfolio. Last year we entered into a management contract with the Winnie Mobasso Foundation in South Africa, who do a fantastic job in their own right and have very kindly agreed to manage my affairs out there on a

daily basis. It’s good for me, because I’ve got people on the ground now who do the day-today work that is so essential. I’m out there in June for about 10 days promoting another UK charity.

As well as Mears and the foundation, you are the chairman of several interesting companies. How do you select the projects you wish to help? I want to be inspired by the person or team, and know that they have a vision. If you look at my background, I’m seen as a classic entrepreneur, but I don’t see myself as that at all. I see myself as a team-builder. Where I have been involved in businesses in the past, where investors have wanted to change the management team, then almost without exception I’ve decided to walk at the same time. The latest business I have joined as chairman is Totally Plc, because I saw that the ideas and ideals of Wendy Lawrence are identical to mine and to what we are trying to do in Mears. I’m very excited about providing a professional outsource service into the NHS, and I’m sure we will have a great deal of fun doing it. If we can just improve certain services that are out there and work alongside the NHS Trusts, the Clinical Commissioning Groups and the boards to help them work through their challenges, then I think we will do very well.

www.mearsgroup.co.uk www.thefootprintsfoundation.co.uk

BUSINESS SUCCESSION

BUSINESS AND INCAPACITY, DEATH AND DIVORCE A happy and sad tale by DMH Stallard partners Philip Morton and Claire Carberry

Beware escaped lions!

s solicitors we see situations every day where people have failed to plan for the worst-case life scenarios.

Incapacity. Death. Divorce. In any particular order, these are not a list of the top-three

Once upon a time, in a town not far away,

they’re too busy running the business. Mike is

Maggie and Mike. Maggie did not know Mike

married to Melinda. They felt that a pre-nuptial

and Mike did not know Maggie.

agreement was unromantic and, anyway, they’ll

Maggie runs Maggie Limited with her

events in anyone’s life. However, there are

business partner Michelle. They each own 50%

steps you can take to reduce the impact of

and they have a comprehensive shareholder’s

these life events on your business. We have

agreement. Maggie is married to Mark and

tried to lighten the mood of the subject through the use of bleak comedy. The characters in the following tale are a figment of the authors’

need a shareholder’s agreement. In any event,

there lived two successful entrepreneurs,

entered into a pre-nuptial agreement, ringfencing her business interests in the event that her marriage should break down. Maggie and

be together forever (can you tell where this is going yet?).

Incapacity Maggie and Mike continue on their separate lives, with businesses and life going well. Unfortunately, Morris, Mike’s business

Mark each took legal advice and signed the

imaginations, but the circumstances in which

partner, suffers a stroke, becoming unable to

document well in advance of the wedding and

they find themselves are based on real-life

deal with his affairs himself. Mike and Morris

they review it every five years or so.

had not discussed this eventuality when

events. We apologise in advance for the lack of

Mike runs Mike Limited with his business

setting up their business and had not entered

imagination in the names, but we are no Hans,

partner Morris. They each own 50%. They

into a shareholder’s agreement. Nor had they

Christian or Anderson. On with the tale …

trust each other and feel that that they don’t

prepared mutual Lasting Powers of Attorney,

BUSINESS SUCCESSION www.dmhstallard.com passing control of their business affairs to the

by Morris, his wife and Melinda getting together

Guarantees which he can’t pay. Mike Ltd goes

other (or a trusted professional third party)

to vote him off the board! There was no

into liquidation and both Mike and Morris go

in the event one should become temporarily

shareholder agreement, so nothing to prevent

bankrupt.

or permanently incapacitated. Morris had,

us going down that unfortunate route.

however, prepared a Lasting Power of Attorney passing control of all of his affairs (business and personal) to his wife in the event of his losing capacity. Morris’ wife had never trusted Mike and refuses to accede to his request to extend the overdraft facility and purchase land the company had been trying to buy for the past five years.

Death Meanwhile, Maggie’s business partner,

Maggie, meanwhile, takes on a new shareholder, Matilda who has 40% of the

life and died peacefully in her 90s. She had

Lucy, 28 and recently married. Lucy works so

taken advice on Estate tax planning and passed

hard as a manager in the business that Matilda

on her business and personal assets to her

and Maggie agree that she should receive a

four children and 12 grandchildren with a

10% shareholding. Maggie and Matilda insist

minimal Inheritance Tax bill. We are not sure

that Lucy must agree a post-nuptial agreement,

what happened to Mike, but the way things

protecting the business interests. Nobody

turned out for him in this tale, we wouldn’t be

wants to end up with a son-in-law they don’t

surprised if he was mauled by an escaped lion

know as a co-shareholder. At first, Lucy’s new

from London Zoo.

husband is affronted that she should bring

been an enigma to Maggie. That is why Maggie

up such an unromantic topic of conversation

insisted that the shareholder’s agreement

whilst on their honeymoon in Rome. But, as

determined what would happen in the event of

payment to Michelle’s estate for for the agreed value of the shares. The shares pass to Maggie, allowing continuity of the business.

Divorce By now, you must be hoping that Mike is in for some good news because Maggie seems extremely smug. Luckily for Mike, there is

“Think of the effects your personal lives can have on your business affairs and the effects your business life can have on your personal affairs.”

this tale is the effects your personal lives can have on your business affairs and the effects your business life can have on your personal affairs. The busier we get, the less time we have to ensure the legal documents are in place to protect our position in the event things go wrong. The circumstances in this tale are not uncommon. We see them every day. Simple

your family’s finances from business risk.

from their accountant and decide to each split their shares equally, giving their respective

Lucy explains, this is because her mother and

wives 25% of the shares in Mike Limited.

Maggie insist and the conversation is far easier

Shortly after this decision, Mike’s wife Melinda

than it may otherwise have been. Lucy and her

decides to leave him for the hunky 25-year-old

husband each take independent legal advice,

gardener with the Abercrombie and Fitch body.

learning that a post-nuptial agreement is as

We bet you didn’t see that coming!

binding as a pre-nuptial agreement and enter

buy out Melinda from the business. 24 months

we like to think you would take away from

costs, ensure business continuity and protect

booming again. Mike and Morris take tax advice

the tale?) and does not have the liquid capital to

first name, to name but two examples. What

planning can save considerable future legal

full recovery from his stroke and business is

agreement (you see how we set up this twist in

There are a number of morals that may be lions or don’t name your company after your

some good news, in that Morris has made a

Mike does not have an effective pre-nuptial

Moral of the story taken from this tale. Keep away from escaped

either Michelle’s or Maggie’s death. Michelle with insurance in place providing a lump sum

Maggie lived a long and happy and fulfilled

shares in Maggie Ltd. Matilda has a daughter,

Michelle, has died. Michelle’s family has always

and Maggie had a cross-option agreement

Death again…

into a reasonable post-nuptial agreement.

Insolvency You recall the overdraft facility that Morris’

and £150,000 later, the court determines

wife refused to agree to? Well, when Morris is

that Melinda should retain a 20% share in the

back on his feet, Mike and Morris extend their

company, receiving dividends from Mike and

credit lines to enter into contracts with Crooks

Morris’ hard work. Poor old Mike. Though he

Ltd. Crooks Ltd go into administration, leaving

could count himself lucky; if we had more

Mike Ltd holding the can. Unfortunately for

space, he would also have lost his directorship

Mike, the extra credit was backed by Personal

This autumn, DMH Stallard and Platinum Business are holding a lecture where we will present a more in-depth look at the issues discussed in this article. Following the lecture, there will be drinks and a chance to network with the presenters and other attendees. Look out for details in upcoming issues of Platinum Business Magazine.

CONTACTS: Philip Morton Partner, Family and Litigation Philip.morton@dmhstallard.com Claire Carberry Partner, Private Client Claire.carberry@dmhstallard.com

APPOINTMENTS

A TOUCH OF FROST Further growth at Carpenter Box Gatwick

ith Maurice Frost joining the team at Carpenter Box’s Gatwick office, the firm has managed to recruit one of the area’s most experienced accountants to support its growth. He arrives ahead of an additional team of SME and tax specialists, who, over the next few months, will see the firm’s Peveril Court office almost double in size. Maurice has been appointed to the role of Departmental Director in the Business Services Group, which specialises in Owner-Managed Business and will help build on a spectacular first year for the firm’s Gatwick office, which opened in June 2015. Throughout his 26 years as a partner at an accountancy firm in Crawley, Maurice gained vast experience of undertaking audits and advising owner-managed businesses. During his career Maurice has also worked for one of the UK’s top five accountancy firms, and his technical ability has been put to good practical use during a stint as a Financial Controller for a company within the care industry. Since the Gatwick opening last year, Carpenter Box has been welcomed into the business community to the point that the Partners felt that they had to accelerate their plans for growth, to meet client demand both in Gatwick and South Surrey. The firm’s membership of MHA, a national association of independent accountants offering a full range of services to national, regional and local businesses, together with membership of Baker Tilly International, which gives the firm a global reach, have already helped to win over some of the larger businesses in the area. The expanded Gatwick line-up will include a senior tax advisory professional to work alongside Stuart Noakes, Head of Tax Services Group, as well as a team to support the growing number of clients who have started to use Xero cloud accounting software. Xero is ideal for smaller businesses who want to concentrate on what makes them money rather than on bookkeeping. For their expertise and level of client support around the product, Carpenter Box recently won Xero’s national ‘Accounting Partner of the Year’ award. Maurice is understandably thrilled with his new role, commenting: “I am delighted to be

Carpenter Box Partner Tony Summers (left) welcomes new Department Director, Maurice Frost appointed Department Director in an awardwinning firm with such an excellent reputation as Carpenter Box. I have lived in Crawley from my youngest days and have played a part in the growth and development of the area over many years. I am well established in the business community, so I believe that I am in a good position to help the firm with its ambitious growth strategy, and I relish the opportunity to be part of that journey.”

Maurice will be focusing on owner-managed businesses of all sizes, helping to increase their profitability and improve their tax efficiency. Outside of work, Maurice and his wife are to be found supporting the burgeoning sporting exploits of their teenage son. Maurice plays drums and is also a Harlequins Rugby supporter.

TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT

PLATINUM

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TRAVEL TIPS

Travel Gillian Tans, President of Booking.com

Every day millions of hours are spent travelling for business around the world. Gillian Tans gives her top business travel hacks to make your next work trip even simpler and stress-free. BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME/THE OFFICE Packing If you do lots of back-to-back business travel, save time by keeping a partially packed suitcase. Replenish toiletries and essentials such as underwear and sleepwear as soon as you return. Then, next time you have to pack, you’ve only got to add some business clothes and you’re ready to go.

Cabin Luggage We all know that taking cabin luggage only means a faster exit on arrival. However, if you’re late boarding you may find that the overhead bins are full, forcing you to check in your baggage. Instead of taking a standard cabin-sized, rigid suitcase and laptop case, take two more equally-sized bags (check with your airline first). One should be the maximum size that you could, if necessary, fit under the seat in front. The other should be a non-rigid canvas bag which can be slotted into any odd space in-between the big suitcases in the overhead bins.

Recharging and plugs Almost all devices can be charged via USB. So don’t haul around lots of individual plugs and cables when a couple of connection cables to your laptop or a USB adapter will do. Similarly, a multi-country adapter plug is much better than multiple plugs for different countries.

Pre-order meals If you don’t mind eating veggie, consider pre-ordering your meals before you leave, as a ‘special meal’ will invariably mean you will be served first. This means you can relax/go to sleep while everyone else is still being served their food.

AT THE AIRPORT Spotting the ‘right’ security queue The shortest line isn’t always the fastest. Try and check out the efficiency of the personnel manning the line and the mix of travellers ahead of you, such as families with small children. Pick right and you could literally save weeks of queuing over a business lifetime.

ON THE PLANE Have an on-boarding bag Don’t be one of those people who wait to get on the plane before rummaging in their bags to extract the items they don’t want to put in the overhead bins (holding everyone else up in the aisle in the meantime). Instead, keep all those items you will want during the flight in a small separate bag that you can easily extract as soon as you board. An outside pocket of your suitcase is great for this.

DURING YOUR TRIP Be app happy One of the biggest headaches of business travel is keeping a record of and claiming expenses as well as keeping on top of boarding cards and schedules. Booking.com for Business gives you options which help you understand the numbers, but of course there are plenty of apps that can help which let you track any kind of expense as well as billable time and mileage too. Expense reports needn’t be taxing. Tripit organises all your travel details into an itinerary on the app by simply forwarding on your flight, hotel and car rental bookings. You can also share your travel schedule with colleagues.

Record room and parking numbers If you’re on the road and constantly changing hotels it can get a little confusing trying to remember the number of the room you’re staying in. Take a quick photo of your door or your car parking space on your phone as soon as you arrive.

Enjoy the journey If you feel like all you ever see of a new country is the airport, the road to your hotel and the meeting room you need to get to it’s time to try and do a little bit of forward planning. Could you arrive a little earlier to enjoy a weekend stop over? Could a colleague recommend a local restaurant or café near your hotel that will give you at least a little flavour of the country that you are visiting? A little bit of planning in advance will reward you richly.

Get your ZZZ’s in Transcontinental and transatlantic flights don’t always provide enough hours to get a full night’s sleep. Maximise the amount of snooze you get by eating before you get on the plane. You can even brush your teeth and get into some comfortable sleep gear before boarding so you can ‘hit the hay’ as soon as you’ve buckled up. But bear in mind that the best way to beat jet leg is to sleep as if you are in the time zone you’re due to arrive in.

Travel STACKING THE ARGUMENTS OVER AIRPORT CAPACITY

Global Travel Management Managing Director Scott Pawley considers the impact the EU referendum has on the airport capacity debate

usiness travel remains the lifeblood of a prosperous and competitive economy, and in an era of globalisation it is an

in coming years, with the fastest expansion on

that the majority of our clients use Heathrow,

routes to destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.

which, in 2015 alone, saw almost 75 million

Key policy-makers therefore cannot afford

inescapable fact that air transport is especially

to overlook the contribution air travel makes to

important.

UK economic prosperity in any future decisions

passengers and almost 1.5 million metric tonnes of cargo. I would argue that Heathrow’s expansion

on air transport. In fact, it’s time they acted

could achieve the most significant impact in

business. It enables them to keep in touch with

on the fact that the UK’s ability to continue to

cost reductions, job creation and in relation

clients, suppliers and staff across the world, it

meet the needs of business and the economy

to minimising extra costs associated with

also supports the generation of sales of goods

rests on the thorny problem of lack of airport

increased freight transit times. Business

and services. What’s more, that the demand

capacity.

travellers look to Heathrow for long haul

Companies rely on air travel to carry out

for business travel by air will continue to grow

In business travel management, we find

services. Las Vegas, for example, attracts high

Travel Global Travel Management Kingsway House, 123-125 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 6LR T: 01483 747321 M: sayhello@gtm.uk.com W: www.gtm.uk.com

levels of business traffic as a major exhibition

First you need to look at the impact of

that forecasters predict that by 2028, the

and conference destination as well as a very

emerging markets, which continue to be a

new Istanbul airport, regardless of any

attractive incentive option for companies. So

driver of passenger growth. China is expected

environmental issues, may have enough

if Heathrow doesn’t get the extra capacity that

to see the largest increase in the domestic

capacity to shift passengers away from Paris

sector may have little choice but to connect to

travel market with Asia as a whole set to

Charles de Gaulle airport, Heathrow, Schiphol

flights via a continental European hub.

become the largest travel market. The location

and Dubai.

I know this is a soapbox, that’s well used. But the interesting times we live in raise new considerations with elements that tip against each other in a neat line of questions, much like a line of falling dominoes. Heathrow’s expansion would provide the best option to keep Britain competitive with European rivals, like Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle, also under pressure to meet future capacity requirements. Now it’s true that it would appear that the UK would not need to remain in the EU to retain our competitive edge in the light of issues over European airport competition or even the green light for a third runway at Heathrow. However, the reality is that our biggest challenge, as a leading international air traffic hub, with all the significant economic advantages that brings, is not from within Europe. Certainly not as it stands.

of the Middle East will help drive growth

This brings me back to the relevance of our

and Dubai is already the world’s busiest

role in the EU and adds potency to our need

international airport.

to establish greater airport capacity. We need

A strong US economy is strengthening its

to have this greater airport capacity where

domestic traffic but while 20 years ago, the

we can maintain our influence in international

majority of passengers travelled on airlines

air traffic and we need to be in the EU to

based in Europe or North America, that number

influence Turkey’s plans in the light of Turkey’s

has shrunk to 49%, and by 2034, airline giant

longstanding petition to join the EU.

Boeing predicts that it will be just 39%. So how do these facts impact on the UK

Outside the EU we have no power to have any influence on the membership and who it

vote one way or the other? They have to be

decides to include. Isolated from the EU we

considered in the light of an unrestrained new

will also have no power to make demands on

third airport plan in Turkey, Istanbul Grand

another nation’s airport expansion plans with

Airport (IGA). It’s going to be big enough to take

regard to how that impacts on many issues, not

150 million passengers per year in due course,

least of which is the environment. So, I know

and is expected to open in October 2017.

where I’m placing my vote on 23rd June.

Three runways have been built as part of plans to have a total of six runways and four terminals. This would create an airport in Istanbul that would be larger than any in Europe. It would replace Atatürk Airport and provide capacity that Turkish Airlines has wanted for its huge expansion. In addition, Turkey has opened 25 new airports in the last 10 years so it’s not surprising

Travel Shake hands in...

LAS VEGAS

Fun, fun, fun awaits delegates in the entertainment capital of the US – as well as meeting options for companies of all sizes, says Rose Dykins

he best day of my life. Not a term you

Pool party season is now well underway

sqm of meeting space, Nevada’s glittering

use lightly, but my day spent at the pool

in Las Vegas, but the hedonism never stops,

entertainment destination hosted 22,000

party at Las Vegas’s Hard Rock Hotel

whatever time of year. Despite the wild

meetings last year, welcoming 5.9 million

indulgence of the destination, Las Vegas’s

visitors for business events.

and Casino was easily in my top ten. The sun was scorching, the DJ was masterful, the mimosas were flowing, and atmosphere was

corporate credentials are seriously big business. Capitalising on its status as an

“We are so lucky in Las Vegas to be able to

entertainment hub, Vegas is continually

host every kind of meeting or convention and

overwhelmingly positive – unforgettable, in

expanding its convention centres and adding

fit every business need,” says Chris Meyer,

fact.

new options. Boasting more than 1 million

Vice President of global business sales for the

The Strip at dusk

Travel

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Whether it’s rewarding a firm’s high-flyers with a once-in-a-lifetime trip filled with activities and entertainment, to hosting 1,000 delegates for a gala dinner in one of our luxury hotels, to putting on a major trade show for 170,000 attendees, right down to an intimate meeting for 10 delegates – we have the ability to accommodate any group or conference. The sheer scale of our facilities is a key reason why so many people come to Las Vegas for business – including three of the ten largest convention centres in the US.”

Wynn Las Vegas

Las Vegas Convention Centre

So, although Vegas is the destination of choice for enormous international events – including tech and electronic event CES (January), and the world’s premier motoring trade show, SEMA Show (November) – smaller companies will find just as many suitable options for group incentives and meetings. “Small meetings are a crucial part of our meetings and events business,” says Meyer. “We can accommodate groups at one of our boutique hotels, in one of our private dining rooms, at a chef’s table, in one of our impressive hotel suites – or even in a gondola in “Venice” [the artificial waterways of the Venetian casino].” And, for those less keen on spending their time around roulette wheels, you really don’t have to gamble to have a good time, and casinos are working hard to make sure they offer other activities. “Gaming will always be important to Southern Nevada’s economy, but as visitors’ trends change, properties seek to diversify their offerings in order to meet those needs,” says Meyer. Wandering freely from casino to casino along the strip, taking in the likes of the Fountains of Bellagio and the cobbled streets and authentic backdrop of Paris Las Vegas, you could potentially go without placing a single bet. Still, if you’re feeling lucky….

Bellagio Fountains Photo Credits: Wynn Casino/hotel : Barbara Kraft LVCVA

Travel WHAT’S NEW IN SIN CITY?

T MOBILE ARENA

– launched in April by MGM Resorts and AEG, this 20,000-seat venue – now the largest arena in the city – will host more than 100 performers and sporting events each year, and is available for event hire.

THE PARK – another offering from MGM, this outdoor dining and entertainment district just off the Las Vegas Boulevard features plenty of outdoor patio space for hire, public art displays and live entertainment.

MANDALAY BAY CONVENTION CENTRE

– the sprawling Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino has further expanded its convention centre, meaning it now offers a whopping 185,000 sqm of exhibition space.

IPEC – opened last summer, this free-

standing venue is five minutes from both McCarran International Airport and the Strip, IPEC, with 1,850 sqm of meeting and event space and 49 hotel rooms.

Mandalay Bay

MR CHOW AT CAESARS PALACE – already a hit with

corporate groups, this high-end Chinese opened in April. Headed up by restaurateur and artist Mr Chow, it’s a slick space for 227 diners, where dishes are served “communal style”.

Mr Chow

SUNDANCE HELICOPTERS

– the heli-tour company now has a state-of-the-art terminal for corporate events, which can host parties for up to 500 people after giving them aerial tours of the Strip.

INTRIGUE

– Wynn Las Vegas’s new ultra-luxe nightlife concept was also set to debut in May, with space for 1,200 people to network in style.

THE D LAS VEGAS – the lively casino

hotel has opened some cutting edge meeting and convention space – including a renovated 560 sqm ballroom, eight breakout rooms, a new outdoor terrace and “Man Cave”-style party rooms.

TOPGOLF LAS VEGAS

– set to open in May at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas’s take on the popular golfing attraction was never going to be done by halves – it will cover 3.2 hectares and offer stunning views of the Strip.

Top Golf

Travel COMING SOON… CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT – this Las Vegas institution will upgrade more than 4,800 of its rooms this year, and revamp the original tower at Caesars Palace to create the Julius Tower.

W LAS VEGAS

– bringing yet more bling to Sin City, Starwood will debut its W brand in what is currently the LUX tower of SLS Las Vegas. The luxury hotel will have three levels of meeting space.

ARIA RESORT AND CASINO

– the venue has announced a $154 million expansion of its awardwinning high-tech convention centre, which will add 18,500 sqm of space. This will include outdoor areas and a glass-enclosed venue with views of The Park and T-Mobile Arena.

RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS – slated as one of the biggest developments on the Strip in over a decade, the Genting Group will open this Chinese-themed casino resort at the northern end of the main drag – due to be completed in 2019.

WYNN PARADISE PARK – a sandy beach waterfront set around a 15-hectare lagoon, a 1,000-room hotel tower, a casino, and possibly a nine-hole golf course are all part of the plan for this exciting development, within walking distance from the Strip. Watch this space…

IDEAL ITINERARY GTM’s Managing Director Scott Pawley outlines the perfect Las Vegas incentive trip for those who’ve worked hard, and are looking to play harder…

THURSDAY – Arrive in the afternoon, and allow for time to chill. Then, the fun kicks off with a late night casino walk, or braving the thrill rides at Stratosphere Tower.

The Grand Canyon by helicopter

FRIDAY – Explore the Strip, dine in a hotel and see a show. The casinos are a real buzz, and we can organise it so that everyone has a budget they are “allowed” to spend. This means they can just relax and enjoy the venues as much as playing the tables and machines. SATURDAY– A helicopter ﬂight over the Grand Canyon, to give the team or delegates the opportunity to explore the outer regions.

SUNDAY – A day by the pool, or, for the more energetic, a chance to explore the Strip further and enjoy a different dining experience.

MONDAY – Homeward bound. 55

Travel WHAT’S ON - LAS VEGAS SHOWS Elton John (October 10-30, Colosseum at Caesars Palace) Jennifer Lopez (June 1-12, July 20-30, August 3-13, December 9-17, Axis Theatre, Planet Hollywood)

Lionel Richie (September 21-28, October 1-12, Axis Theatre, Planet Hollywood)

Mariah Carey (June 7-25, August 24-31, September 3-11, Colosseum at Caesars Palace)

Michael Jackson One by Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas (every Monday, Tuesday,

Jennifer Lopez

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino)

Mike Tyson, “Undisputed Truth” (until June 26, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, MGM Grand) Rod Stewart (August 3-21, Colosseum at Caesars Palace) Santana (September 14-25, November 2-13, House of Blues at Mandalay Bay)

THE LOWDOWN Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s Chris Meyer gives his tips for making the most of a business trip in Sin City:

Q) What’s the best way to let your hair down if you have a spare day? A) To see a different side of Las Vegas, head north off the Strip and visit Downtown, which is

undergoing a complete renaissance. The area is thriving and distinguishing itself as a whole new destination away from the Strip. The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, home to the Chris Meyer Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra and Nevada Ballet, is a fantastic venue for cultural events and performances. Downtown is also home to the Neon Museum, where you’ll find a vast collection of old Las Vegas neon signs displayed in the desert – also offering exclusive hire for a corporate event. Fremont Street is the hub of Downtown and a fantastic entertainment district – make sure you look up at the world’s largest video screen, consisting of 12.5 million LED lights.

Q) Where’s your favourite place for a flutter and why? A) LAVO at The Venetian offers table games, mixology and their signature Italian dishes fused together in one

experience.

Q) Beyond the casinos, what would you recommend businesspeople visit if they have the chance? A) Las Vegas is a fantastic base from which to explore the Grand Canyon, and helicopter trips provide a fantastic

incentive option for corporate groups. You can also take a 15-minute evening flight over the Las Vegas Strip and take in the lights – a brilliant reward for hardworking delegates. Red Rock Canyon is just a 30-minute drive from the Strip, and a great place to hike and see the vivid rock colours and formations.

Q) Any other top tips for business travellers? A) There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas, so it is really important to leave time between meetings and

conducting your business to explore the city and have fun. Travel midweek and out of peak season to take advantage of really competitive hotel rates.

GATWICK FORUM

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THE GATWICK DIAMOND ECONOMY? I

t’s important to understand why major employers and investors put their time and money into our Gatwick Diamond. Those of us

who live and work here understand the value

employer in the area through a number of

College, Gatwick Airport, Iceni Projects, Jones

hotels, will talk about why he has invested so

Lang Lasalle, KPMG, Liberty Property Trust,

much here, and about what others could do to

Mayo Wynne Baxter, NatWest, Optima Systems,

encourage more investment.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, Red River Software,

of the superb road, rail and air connections to

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport,

Southern Housing Group, Transvalair UK,

domestic and international customers, and the

will talk about his investment programme and

University of Brighton, Valad, and Whiston

high quality of life here, but what would make it

rationale, and how the airport plans to help the

Solutions, as well as the Coast to Capital LEP

more attractive?

Gatwick Diamond economy grow.

and all seven of the local district and county

The annual Gatwick Diamond Economic

Delegates are a mix of leaders from

councils – all of which give the event significant networking power.

Growth Forum, which attracts around 200

significant local employers, investors, local

delegates each year, will this year give a

authorities and more. It’s this mix that gives

The annual Gatwick Diamond Economic

platform to a number of major investors and

the event its power, as business leaders talk

Growth Forum, which this year takes place at

employers, and ask of them why they are

directly to local authority leaders about how we

the Arora Hotel in Crawley on June 9th, brings

investing here and what could be done to make

can make growth happen faster.

the public and private sectors together to

the region even more attractive. Surinder Arora, CEO of Arora Group, who are

Organisations represented last year included Platinum Business Magazine,

currently progressing a major development in

American Express, Balfour Beatty, Canon UK,

Crawley Town Centre, and who is also a major

Chemigraphic, DMH Stallard, East Surrey

discuss the opportunities and obstacles for our regional economy. Join the conversation. See more information at www.gdegf.com.

Left to right: Charlotte Holloway, Surinder Arora, Sam Garrity, Stewart Wingate and Abhi Chacko

DIGITAL CAPABILITY For 2016, the event theme is the digital economy. The event will spend some time considering our digital sector and how it can grow further, providing more jobs, and generating more local economic value. The digital sector has an impact far beyond its own borders. All companies are now, or will be, affected by new digital trends such as the internet of things, cloud computing, mobile web services, smart grids, and social media, and those who take best advantage of them will grow the quickest. This means we need to retain and grow our strong digital sector for the benefit of the whole Gatwick Diamond economy. How good is our digital infrastructure, and how can it be improved? How do we achieve adequate digital investment? The event will also look at digital skills and the talent pool, discussing how the supply of digital skills could meet the demands of the labour market – and about what we can do to make sure the digital-skills bottleneck does not constrain our growth. Speakers in the digital section of the event include Charlotte Holloway, Head of policy and Associate Director, TechUK; Abhi Chacko, Head of IT commercial department, Gatwick Airport; and Sam Garrity, Managing Director, Rocketmill.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

ANGER MANAGEMENT by Maarten Hoffmann

THE IMMORAL TAX I

s it just me or does anyone else feel that David Cameron missed a wide-open goal recently when trying to wiggle his way out of

the Panama Papers fiasco? His father set up an off-shore vehicle to avoid inheritance tax (IHT). Surely, the point

them in exceeding the achievements of their

income tax, with the top 10% paying well over

parents. This is what enables a nation to grow

half, at 55%. Without their effort and enterprise,

wealthier and more successful. Take that away

a huge burden would fall on the 12% who

and everyone starts from scratch again. It’s like

pay no income tax at all and the welfare state

a reset button.

would collapse.

The truth is that there are no parents in

The Tories had their strongest surge in

here is not that he did it but that he, like so

this country, of any income bracket, who

popularity when George Osborne promised

many others, are forced to do it in the first

do not want their children to do better than

to raise the threshold for IHT to £1 million

place. It is an immoral double taxation and

themselves and who want to give them a leg-up

for married couples - a pledge he now won’t

should be scrapped immediately. The open

in life. This is one of the most fundamental

fulfil until 2020. By registering a resounding

goal that Cameron missed is not taking that

of human instincts. It is also among the most

vote of approval for this policy, the public

opportunity to state the unjust horror of this tax

selfless and morally admirable. Indeed, the

demonstrated their belief that the tax was

and vow to repeal it.

urge to look after our own families is a hugely

deeply iniquitous. And rightly so. Why, when we

powerful incentive to work hard.

have paid tax on our earnings throughout our

Wealthy countries have always seen generational trickle-down wealth. It’s what gives the next generation a leg up and aids

After all, it should never be forgotten that the richest 1% in this country today pay 27% of all

lives, should we be taxed on the same money again upon our deaths? There is nothing wrong

ANGER MANAGEMENT

“There is nothing wrong with taking legal steps to avoid IHT - as every family would, given the chance. It’s the tax itself that’s immoral.”

with taking legal steps to avoid IHT - as every

The idea of seizing people’s savings and

tax for buying and maintaining your home, you

family would, given the chance. It’s the tax itself

homes when they die might appeal to hard-

shouldn’t have to pay tax again for the simple

that’s immoral.

left ideologues like Jeremy Corbyn and John

act of dying.

McDonnell, but to most voters it looks like

What amazes me most in this debacle is

been shouting from the rooftops? Instead,

opportunistic big government at its least

that the Tories could not hit a barn door at fifty

he scuttled around as if he had got his hand

attractive, snaﬄing money when people are at

paces. Here they are with a wholly unexpected

caught in the till, and then, in an attempt to

their most vulnerable by rebranding death as a

majority, absolutely no opposition whatsoever

Isn’t this the message Cameron should have

extricate himself, having hoisted himself by

and a public and press consumed with the

his own petard, he set the worrying precedent

EU, and yet they fail to make the big changes

of publishing his tax returns. By throwing this

that are needed and, in the main, are fully

tasty morsel to the hounds of class warfare,

supported by the public. Instead, they split on

does he not risk sharpening their appetite for more, until the pressure grows for all politicians to lay bare the details of their own private finances? At this rate, the clear danger is that people with private means will no longer wish to enter public life for fear of being mauled by the ever-hungry pack. If that happens, the field will be left clear for

“What amazes me most in this debacle is that the Tories could not hit a barn door at fifty paces.”

politicians who know nothing of wealth creation

the referendum and start knocking seven bells out of each other. As long as there are unjust laws, the majority with something to leave to the next generation will do all they can to ensure that happens and no amount of laws, taxes or press blood baths is going to change it. And nor should it. It is a deeply unjust, unfair and downright immoral tax and should be scrapped tomorrow.

and are, effectively, unemployable in any other profession. Leaving an inheritance is a positive choice, which should be encouraged and facilitated,

transaction. If you choose to leave some money

not punished. It is clearly good for our society

or assets to your children rather than spending

that parents take an interest in helping their

it all on yourself in retirement, you should be

offspring to secure their futures. It means more

congratulated for your selflessness and sense

people have the safety net of savings, rather

of family responsibility – not hammered with

than relying on the safety net of the taxpayer

tax. If you pay tax on earnings, then pay tax

when things go wrong or times are bad.

for getting interest on your savings, then pay

CHARITY PROFILE

CARE AND COMPASSION

St Peter & St James Hospice improves the lives of people who have a life-limiting or terminal illness. Jo Carr, Communications and Marketing Manager, explains more about the work of the hospice. Charity Proﬁle, sponsored by CharityLine Can you describe the work that St Peter and St James does?

in the hospice where patients can come and

across the South Downs, and we encourage our

stay, the majority of our care takes place out

patients and their loved ones to make the most

At St Peter & St James Hospice we will

in the community, in patients’ homes. Hospice

of our grounds.

support you and those important to you to

care improves the lives of people who have a

live well towards the end of life, by giving

life-limiting or terminal illness. It helps them to

compassion, hope and quality care. We can

live as actively as they can to the end of their

How is the hospice funded and how much does it need to run?

make a positive difference to the experience

lives, however long that may be. It not only

charge, and we rely on our local community for

of everybody in our community who faces

takes care of people’s physical needs, but looks

86% of our funds as we receive less than 14%

death or bereavement, by offering choice and

after their emotional, spiritual and social needs

of our funding from the Government. We have

support through our expert care, knowledge

as well. Hospice care also supports carers,

to raise more than £2.6 million every year

and understanding.

family members and close friends, both during

through fundraising - that’s £7,200 every single

a person’s illness and during bereavement.

day. If you would like to learn more about us,

Haywards Heath, Lewes, Uckfield and the

Set in 23 acres of Sussex countryside, St Peter

are interested in volunteering or would like to

surrounding areas, and, while we have rooms

& St James Hospice has spectacular views

donate to support our vital services to the local

We care for patients from Burgess Hill,

All of our hospice services are free of

CHARITY PROFILE

community, please see our website at www.

• Organise

publishing (at the Press Association and then

stpeter-stjames.org.uk or call 01444 471598

Coffee mornings, quiz nights, shopping

Orient-Express Magazine) made me feel sure

and we’ll be happy to help.

evenings, races or casino nights ‘Fashion

that I wanted a career in communications,

How can businesses make a difference?

Swap’, Dress down, Dress up or Fancy Dress

where my English degree would be utilised.

at work day, Bubbly Challenge, Payroll Giving

I then started working as a Communications

or matched funding.

Manager in an NHS Primary Care Trust,

Getting involved with the hospice can be rewarding for you as a business and for your

• Tax Beneﬁts

employees, some of whom may already be

Businesses can obtain tax relief when

familiar with our services. Helping us can help

they give money, whether as a one-off or

raise your profile across Sussex, demonstrate

a regular payment. The HM Revenue &

your commitment to community services like ours and bring your staff team together around a common purpose. With your help, we can continue to provide skilled, compassionate,

Customs (HMRC) website provides details, so please see more information at www.hmrc. gov.uk

• Volunteering

end-of-life care, free of charge to over 600

Between April and October, we offer Make

patients and their families in Mid Sussex each

a Difference Days when you and your

year. Ways business can help include:

team can volunteer at the Hospice. These

• Charity of the Year Make us your charity of the year and set a fundraising target that your staff can

days might include gardening, woodland clearance, painting or cleaning. Volunteering at the Hospice is a great day out, the perfect opportunity for team-building and helps us

contribute to individually or collectively

save money. It gives us the chance to show

through events, payroll-giving or

you first-hand how your support makes a

participating in some of the hospice’s many

difference.

fundraising events.

• Sponsorship

What is your role?

followed by communications roles, where I was the lead for the organisation, in a hospital and local government. When I saw this role advertised I knew that I wanted to develop my skills further in an organisation that I had heard so many positive things about. I know that everything I do is worthwhile and supports a fantastic team of staff.

What events are coming up? We have fantastic events coming up over the summer months. To see a full list of what we’re holding and those our supporters in the community are running, please see www. stpeter-stjames.org.uk/events. This year, we have over 60 gardens taking part in our Open Gardens 2016 programme. Our annual Star Walk is on Saturday 9 July – it’s an amazing night to truly make memories shine brightly. To register, see www.stpeter-stjames.org.uk/ event/star-walk-2016 We have all our events in

I’m the Head of Communications at the

our events leaflet. So, to see this, simply drop

Sponsor one of our exciting fundraising

hospice and have been working here for two

into one of our eight shops or the Reception at

events and enjoy the excellent media

years now. I oversee all the communications

the hospice.

coverage we have across Sussex.

and marketing activities of the organisation,

How do you work with CharityLine?

• Pay For A Day It costs £7,200 to provide the hospice’s services for a whole day. If you want to ‘payfor-a-day’, you can choose the day, receive our special Pay For A Day Certificate and be invited to visit the hospice on your chosen day. We’ll also invite you to our exclusive Pay For A Day supporter events.

• Take Part We have a series of challenging and fun events running throughout the year, including our annual Star Walk. For those who prefer to run, we have places in the Brighton and London Marathons.

both internally and externally, so this includes the press office, social media, publications, website, graphic design and corporate branding.

How did you get involved? I have worked in both the private and public

We work closely with Stuart Sutherland from CharityLine. During my time here Stuart has been extremely helpful in offering advice on everything from collection pots and website donation to making the most of technology to strengthen our fundraising efforts. They have

sectors. However, this is my first role in the

helped immensely with the production and

charity sector. Working in journalism and

distribution of our supporter communications.

CharityLine makes it easier and more cost effective for charities to grow their donations through proactive marketing, utilising properly sourced data and cleansing existing data.

www.charityline.org.uk 61

NETWORKING

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

By Joanne Rogers, Managing Director, Prowse & Co. www.prowse.co.uk

lthough I’ve always been and will remain a strong advocate of online communications, one of the most enjoyable aspects of my work is bringing people together in real life! Over the years, my team and I have organised numerous events for clients, from private dinners through to public consultations, business engagement events and high profile conferences. One thing they have in common – they’ve all brought together business communities across our region. My experience is that, whatever the occasion, live events provide an important opportunity to gain from listening and sharing experiences through conversation. I have often walked away from such interactions with either a simple yet important piece of advice, a new idea or a valuable business ally for the future. For many (and for senior executives and entrepreneurs in particular), business life can be isolating, so such events provide a valuable means of connecting with colleagues or likeminded peers and also help to put day-to-day issues in a broader context.

Public Relations Marketing Events Research Economic Development

www.prowse.co.uk

The act of bringing people together also reflects well on the hosting organisation. An event automatically elevates their brand, helping to build collaborations and motivate employees. Building connections by bringing people together also has the benefit of generating support when change is necessary. But it’s not just about organisations, as bringing people together can also impact on a location’s wellbeing – creating a sense of community. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that a place is about more than economic development budgets and businesses. At its heart, a place is about its people, heritage, assets and of course opportunities - all of which should be fully utilised to build successful communities. For example, over the past few years we’ve worked closely with the Manor Royal BID team to help build a sense of place for the 500

companies and 30,000 people who work in the Sussex business district. It’s been personally gratifying to see real progress being made on bringing people together – united with a common purpose. Another example is our work in Leatherhead, Surrey. Six years ago, we created a business awards scheme in conjunction with the local chamber of commerce in order to recognise the efforts of local business people and their employees. Over the years, it’s been rewarding to bring together large multinationals with SMEs and see their business relationships grow. Of course online communications are an important and cost-effective method of reaching out to people, but in my view, nothing quite beats the ‘meet up’, bringing people together in real time for mutual benefit.

Prowse & Co. combines strategic counsel with practical support to help you effectively communicate with your target audiences. If you would like to find out more about how our event management services might benefit your organisation, just give me a call on 01372 363386 or visit www.prowse.co.uk.

MOTORING

VAUXHALL INSIGNIA By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: 2.0 CDTi Engine: 2.0-litre diesel Performance: 0-62mph: 7.5 seconds Top speed: 130 mph Economy: 62.8 mpg Price as tested: £23,324.00

the USP. Price and economy. And in both these areas it scores very well. To get into this car for as little as £16,279 is remarkable. There are a good range of engines but you should plump for the 2.0-litre with 138bhp as it provides plenty of mid-range grunt. I, on the other hand, am not constrained by such things as BIK rates and fuel economy and therefore would select the 2.8-litre V6 petrol that will get you down the road to 62mph is less than six seconds. The ride is totally dependent on the wheel size and any larger than 16 inches and you get a choppy, irritating ride but stick with the right wheels and you get a smooth and progressive journey.

he Ford Mondeo has held sway over this mid-range sector for quite some time and all things must come to an end. But, l venture, not quite yet.

The Insignia is a good looking, sleek design and a good choice for the sub-premium fleet market. The 2-litre diesel will be the favourite but l would step up to the fancy BiTurbo model that has the kick this car needs. It is good, handsome and able but lacks that touch of flair that would set it apart. The interior is a marked improvement over past Vauxhall products in this sector and has a feel that it was designed rather than crafted in a 6th form design studio. Everything is where you would want it and easy to hand and it is very comfortable on the motorway, which is where it will spend most of its time. Round town it’s nippy enough but the engine is a tad gruff for me. The petrol is quieter of course but then you lose some of

The driving position is good and it offers four-way lumber adjustment and electric height adjustment and the dash is well laid out but it takes a few days for it to become intuitive. The sweeping roof line that make it a good looker also deals the minus of poor rear vision. Opt for the optional parking sensors as you’ll need them. It comes with all the toys - 4.2 in colour screen, bluetooth and USB sockets, SatNav, and voice recognition but to me the seats let it down. If the mark of a man is his shoes, then the mark of a good car are the quality of the seats and they don’t quite cut the mustard. There’s a leather option but then the price rises and the point is, yet again, defeated. In summary, this is an attractive, competent, economical and sensible proposition if you do long miles and have no serious interest in cars. And that market is huge and the Insignia hits the spot.

“It is good, handsome and able but lacks that touch of ﬂair that would set it apart.” 63

MOTORING

AUDI R8 V10 By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

ho doesn’t love a supercar? Total arts-of-work-on-wheels that are good enough to lick and fast enough

to rip your face off. What’s not to love? The elephant in the room in this discussion is the fact that 99% of supercars are not

and stronger. The 1,555kg kerb weight makes

behind the seats jumps up, eats the moggy

it a skinny latte; add in all-wheel drive and a

and shoves you down the road faster than you

screaming 5.2 litre engine producing 602bhp,

can register what is happening. It is lightning

and you just know what’s coming next. I am

fast, and with the standard Quattro there is

going to drive it like l stole it.

(almost) no corner that you cannot throw it into,

The engine is sublime and makes jokers out

everyday drivers. They are elegant, delicate

of those who say turbocharged engines sound

and ruinously expensive to repair when Doris

better. They don’t compare to this naturally

hits you in the car park of Asda. So, pop it in

aspirated power plant. Of course, you have to

at any speed, that is not achieved with supreme confidence, flash panache and slightly soiled underpants. And they sent me the fast one - the V10 Plus,

the garage and only let it out for those Sunday

push through the mid-rev area, where turbo’s

with 602bhp! That outpaces the Porsche 911

blasts and, in most cases, watch the value

shine, but get it up to 6,000 revs and all hell

Turbo S to 100mph from a standing start by

soar if you keep the miles low. Well that’s very

breaks loose. It just wants to go, and presents

almost half a second and gets within a gnats

boring, isn’t it?

such an exquisite pedal response that, speed

whisker of the McLaren 650S. Engage launch

limits be damned, you just have to let it rip.

control and all your dreams will come true.

The Audi R8 V10 is that elusive beast - an everyday driver still able to warp your facial features if you get heavy with the go-pedal. I have each of my review cars direct from the manufacturer for seven days at a time, and I use them as my work and play car for the week. This means l attend countless meetings,

The seven-speed twin-clutch is too fast to even

The interior is well laid out, and l think the

notice the changes, but - and here is the kicker

‘virtual cockpit’ is a treat. Buttons allow you

- pop it into Comfort or Auto mode and it will

to customise it for your intentions, selecting

burble round town like a blasted tame moggy.

which dial you would like front and centre (l

Pop it into Dynamic, open the exhaust pipes

only really needed the rev counter). The SatNav

and slip into Sport and the monster tiger hiding

becomes the entire dash display when needed

conferences and exhibitions, take the kids to school, go shopping at Waitrose and may even deliver a sick bunny to the vet (long story). Send me a Ferrari 458 or Lamborghini Huracan and most of these tasks would be impractical and somewhat scary if l had any respect for my no-claims bonus. The new V10 is sharper and tighter than its V8 predecessor, and, with much of the tub being new, with aluminium space frame and panels, it is lighter. There is also a good dollop of carbon fibre in there, too, making it lighter

“It is lightning fast, and, with the standard Quattro there is (almost) no corner that you cannot throw it into, at any speed, that is not achieved with supreme confidence, ﬂash panache and slightly soiled underpants.”

MOTORING TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: Audi R8V10 Plus Quattro Engine: 5.2-litre FSI S Tronic Power: 602 bhp Performance: 0-62mph: 3.2 seconds Top speed: 198 mph Economy: 23.0 mpg combined Base price: £132,715.00 As tested: £153,650.00 and is a little like watching HDTV with razor-sharp graphics and options to see which building is on the next corner. The simple fact that the road remains in the same eye line is undoubtably an aid to safety. Processing speed is mighty, with wi-fi connectivity and a 13-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. You won’t use it, though, as you will be listening to the sweet soul music coming out of the tail pipes. It is rather hypnotic, but can be tweaked down from major earthquake to a slight tectonic tremor. Yes, it’s German, and therefore the counterweight to the bullet proof reliability and superb build quality is the slight lack of Italian flair, but this creeps closer to the ultimate sub-supercar, the McLaren 570S, and they have certainly achieved the feeling that you are in something special. It has the stance of the Ferrari 458, if not the finesse, the visceral power of the Huracan, if not the price, and, most importantly, the ability to be driven every day, anywhere, anytime. I did, and l have to tell you that a little bit of my heart went within it when it was time to give it back. No worries, though, as the drop-top R8 Spyder will be out shortly, and they will have to send it to me again. I HATE this job.

“It is rather hypnotic, but can be tweaked down from major earthquake to a slight tectonic tremor.”

MOTORING

SKODA OCTAVIA vRS By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann If you are of a certain age, you will recall the Skoda jokes doing the rounds, such as: What do you call a Skoda with a sunroof: A skip. How do you double the value of a Skoda? Fill it with petrol. What do you call a Skoda on a hill? A miracle.

ll very funny and true back in the day, but you will be laughing on the other side of your face recently as Skoda, following their purchase by Volkswagen in 1994, are now utterly reliable, well built and make a very sensible purchase. Created in the Czech Republic way back in 1905, Skoda failed to keep pace with the rapid progression in vehicle technology and became the butt of every joke out there. So that’s it, you would think. Who on earth could recover a brand after such a drubbing? In come the Germans to the rescue, and today we have a car that was voted top of the driver satisfaction table in 2011 at 88.4%, ahead of Porsche at 87.6%, and was voted the most satisfying car to drive in the UK. Both Skoda as a brand and the Octavia itself have

“There is more than a whiff of Golf around the entire car, but that’s no bad thing.”

finished consistently highly in the Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys in the last few years. In 2015 the Octavia finished in 11th place in the survey overall, an excellent result.

turbocharged petrol or diesel engines, and now

The Octavia is a very good car, but the third generation Octavia comes with the vRS variant that can keep pace with a Golf GTi. Mine had the DRG gearbox that works smoothly and got me to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and on to 152mph. You get the same running gear as the GTi, although the larger body will be noticed in the corners, but you really have to push it to notice this. The steering is precise, the ride is very comfortable, and, give it a good kicking and it really shifts. There is more than a whiff of Golf around the entire car, but that’s no bad thing.

electro-mechanical front differential and lots of

The Octavia vRS is available in five-door hatch or estate format, with a range of

of the rear seats and a storage net in the boot

four-wheel drive has been added into the mix. As of last year, Skoda also offers a vRS 230, which adds an extra 10bhp, bigger brakes, an extra equipment. The estate version is stylish and has space aplenty, although the hatch offers 590 litres with the seats up and a huge 1,580 with the rear seats down, which is more than many an estate car. The opening is large and there’s no big lip to lug items over, while the boot is, overall, a good shape. The only fly in the ointment is that the seats aren’t totally flat when folded, but it’s a minor complaint considering the space on offer. Features such as a loading hatch in the middle also add a practical touch.

MOTORING TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: Octavia 2.0 TSI vRS Engine: 1,984 cc Power: 197 bhp Performance: 0-62 mph: 6.9 seconds Top Speed: 152 mph

ŠKODA Octavia 2.0 TDi C

Economy: 44.1 mpg combined

Only £231.96 per m

Price from: £24,460.00

Birchwood ŠKODA

Birch Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6PX 01323 407101 | www.birchwoodskoda.co.uk

Official fuel consumption for the ŠKODA Octavia range in mpg (litres/100km): Urban 33.6 (8.4) - 72.4 (3.9); Extra Urban 51.4 (5.5) - 88.3 ( 147 - 90 g/km. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. *Monthly rental shown i

followed by 35 monthly rentals. 10,000 miles per annum, excess mileage 6p plus VAT per mile. Further charges may be payable when vehicle is re Finance, Freepost ŠKODA Finance. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Valid for vehicles registered between 1 April and 30 June 2016. V

was extremely high, while it did just enough in

the first two years’ mileage unlimited and the

are top-notch, and the dealers generally

the pedestrian and safety-assist category to

third year limited to 60,000 miles. Some rivals

provide exceptional service. I have not heard of

warrant the highest rating.

beat that with a five-year warranty, but Skoda’s

Owners say that reliability and build quality

any major mechanical or electrical issues so far, apart from a few minor gremlins with the sat-nav mapping. It should offer a dependable ownership experience on the whole. The Octavia offers further peace-of-mind in the form of a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The adult and child occupant protection rating

The usual array of airbags is offered on

one is pretty much par for the course in this

every model, while vRS spec cars get features

sector. You also get a three-year paint warranty

like hill-hold assist, dynamic headlights,

and 12 years of protection against corrosion.

lane-keep assist and post-collision braking to prevent further accidents after a crash. The Octavia gets a three-year warranty, with

This is well built, fast, safe as houses and handles very well, and from £24,460.00 is exceptional value for your money.

“Both Skoda as a brand and the Octavia itself have finished consistently highly in the Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys in the last few years.” 67

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BUSINESS CELEBRATION

150 YEARS YOUNG H

ewitts of Croydon, one of Croydon’s oldest retail stores, celebrated their 150th Anniversary with football legend and TV pundit Mark Bright, who joined the Mayor of Croydon and more than 150 guests and staff in the celebrations at their retail store. Speaking at the champagne reception, Mark paid tribute to the company, which is still owned and run by the Hewitts family. Hewitts have provided school, Scouts and Guides uniforms, sportswear and fitness equipment to the people of Croydon for many generations. “Congratulations to Hewitts – I’m really impressed by everyone here and I wonder how many of today’s businesses will be here in 150 years’ time,” said Mark. “For a firm to last so long and still be going strong says a lot about the quality of their business.” More than 150 years after father and son Charles George and Charles Hewitt opened a gentlemen’s outfitters in Church Street, the business is still family-run by owner and managing director Martin Hewitt, 65, who joined his 91-year-old mother Betty in welcoming guests to the anniversary party. Hewitts continues to move with the times, having been the first UK store to sell Scout uniforms in 1910 and among the first to sell denim as a fashion item in the late 1950s. Martin’s father, Peter, was largely responsible for saving the store in the austere post-war years, while it even overcame a massive fire in 1960 to employ more than 50 people today. Hewitts’ modern store continues to supply uniforms to more than 100 local schools and to have a thriving sports and fitness department as well. Martin, Betty and all the firm’s staff were congratulated by the Mayor of Croydon, Patricia Hay-Justice, on reaching a remarkable milestone, as well as for being a community hub and valued local employer for generations. “It is magnificent to have a business which has been here in Croydon for over 150 years,” she said. “When you come into Hewitts you are

immediately aware of the warmth and quality of the customer service. It feels like a family. A sports auction and raffle on the evening raised more than £1,000 for Code Club (which teaches local children coding skills), a figure generously doubled to over £2,000 by Barclays Bank of Croydon. Martin Hewitt said, “Hewitts are now focusing on the next generation by supporting Code Club. I believe Hewitts will still be here in another 150 years because the quality and customer service are still exceptional.”

www.hewittsofcroydon.com

WELCOME TO

Table Talk

As I type, it is feeling decidedly spring-like and I’m looking forward to a summer of gastronomy. I have booked my place on the various exciting events as part of the Brighton and Hove Food festival and the Croydon Food Festival and I have lots of entertaining and cooking planned over the summer. This month, read my review of the 1907 restaurant at Brooklands Hotel. Our producer profile is the excellent Wiston Estate. Our chef profile is Ben McKellar, the man behind the famous Ginger group of restaurants in Sussex. As for my food diary… well, last month, following my foodie trip to Guernsey I then headed off to Chicago and California, the latter a haven of good wine and food. I found the food in Chicago, while having a high reputation, consistently over-salted and over-laden with butter and oil. It was as if they don’t actually like the taste of vegetables and feel the need to completely disguise them. Conversely the food scene in San Francisco was a total joy. A highlight was the Ferry building on the bay which houses a Borough Market-style artisan food emporium where you can buy, eat and imbibe. Which is precisely what we did. California is of course a major wine region, and I loved the fact that this was evident in the culture of the city and beyond. There’s a real emphasis on wine and wine tasting at every corner. The Napa Valley is a wine-lovers dream - each cute town is basically a big resort for wineries, with each winery offering excellent value tastings, often with food. Having always been an old-world girl, I now have a renewed appreciation for Californian wine. Here’s my top recommendation. If you like new world Pinot Noir, go for anything made in the Russian River area. We couldn’t get enough. After almost three weeks of imbibing every day, upon my return I embarked on a bit of a self-imposed nutrition recovery programme (I will not use the word detox!) Nothing extreme of course. A girl has to eat. So it was all salads, smoothies, fish and lots of kale. It did the trick and I have since enjoyed tucking in to my beloved gin and wine collection, cooking for friends and frequenting various local venues (reviews to follow) all in moderation of course (cough).

Amanda 71

Table Talk REVIEW

1907 Restaurant By Amanda Menahem

he Brooklands Hotel is a striking

target markets are business folk and petrol-

prosecco jelly and sourdough’ (£8.95). Our

example of modern architecture – by

head tourists; Mercedes Benz World and

dining guest ordered ‘Rosary Ash goats cheese

which I mean it’s all a little bit ‘airport’,

Brooklands Racing Museum are on the same

and pears poached and grilled, crisp and

both inside and out. This is not necessarily a

site. Our publisher, Maarten, somewhat of a

dressed’ (£7.50).

criticism. Personally, I rather like Heathrow’s

petrol head himself, will be reviewing the hotel

Terminal 5.

in full in a subsequent issue, so I’ll leave all the

The hotel has received the accolade of one of the Sunday Times Top-100 ‘best small companies to work for’. As an ex-HR

non-food detail and history to him (it’s really not my bag…). And so, on to the food... We had a very promising start. We had met

My venison carpaccio was tiny. I was immediately disappointed. The carpaccio took up less space than an iPhone 5 and was smothered in a dollop of the celeriac remoulade. There was a barely discernible

Director with first-hand experience of this

with the charming Italian General Manager

crushed hazelnut (it can only have been one)

award, I know this is no mean feat. Nor is it a

earlier and Maarten happened to mention his

sprinkled across. There was no evidence of

meaningless bauble. The link between happy

fondness for Chablis. Lo and behold, as we

any mushroom. The carpaccio and remoulade

staff and happy customers is an obvious one,

were seated by the window, with fabulous

were both pretty good, but there just wasn’t

but for some reason I can’t fathom, it is often

views of the Mercedes track, a bottle of

enough of it and there were elements missing.

Chablis had been placed on ice beside us. A

I had finished it within two bites and had to

nice touch, and one that I assume epitomizes

sit while my dining companions continued to

the service philosophy, listening carefully to

eat their more substantial starters. Baffling.

are clearly happy in their jobs and service

customers and striving to delight and exceed

I called over the waitress to ask where the

is attentive and charming, with a genuine

expectations.

mushrooms were. She had to go and speak to

neglected in the hospitality industry. Not at The Brooklands. The team here

desire to please. I was relieved to find that the restaurant itself holds two AA rosettes. Restaurants in venues like these are so often disappointing. This being an ideal meeting venue, the

As a game lover, I chose ‘venison carpaccio with celeriac remoulade, mushrooms, and hazelnuts’ (£9.50), a great-sounding combination of some of my favourite things. Maarten chose ‘duck liver parfait with

the chef and then returned to say that they should have been under the remoulade. They weren’t. The goat’s cheese salad was also something of a conundrum. It was cold goat’s cheese on

Table Talk

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The hotel has received the accolade of one of the Sunday Times Top-100 ‘best small companies to work for’. As an ex-HR Director with first-hand experience of this award, I know this is no mean feat.

a bed of rocket with red wine poached pears. Nice enough, but not

❞

as described. I have no idea what was intended by the description on the menu of ‘poached and grilled, crisp and dressed,’ but there was no evidence of grilled or crisp anywhere in the dish. Maarten’s duck liver parfait was, thankfully, fine - a good texture, smooth and creamy and he raved about it. The accompanying prosecco jelly was a nice touch that worked well with the rich parfait. A welcome change to the usual fruit-orientated accompaniments. For our mains, Maarten - a man of habit (aren’t they all??) - chose ‘fillet steak with béarnaise sauce’ (£34.95). Maarten is forever in search of the perfect béarnaise, a bit like my never-ending search for the perfect handbag, but less expensive. He was not disappointed. I had ‘roasted salmon tail, wild rice, raw salad (when is it ever cooked?), green tea’ (£19.95). I asked the waiter to tell me more about this dish, the description giving little away. I was told that the salmon is poached in the green tea and then finished in the oven to crisp the skin, served with shaved vegetables such as radish, ‘slaw’style. Our guest chose a starter-sized ‘mussels & champagne, shallots, garlic, dippy bits’ (£8.95) which she thoroughly enjoyed. My fish tail, a pleasingly huge hunk of salmon on the bone, was cold and overcooked, with soggy skin, the broccoli tepid. There was no discernible flavour imparted by being poached in green tea, nor did I expect it. After all, green tea is a delicate flavour. I cannot understand why you would choose to poach a fish in it. A green tea sauce or (dare I say it) ‘foam’ would have been a better choice if the chef wanted to put green tea on the plate. The poaching was also the reason for a lack of crispness in the skin, quite difficult to achieve after being immersed in hot water. This would have been a fantastic piece of fish had it been roasted, particularly given it was on the bone. I was frustrated and baffled. A side of ‘green beans, samphire and bacon’ (£4.95) was ok, but the bacon was flaccid and soggy rather than crisp and so did not add anything to the well-cooked green beans and samphire. Thankfully, Maarten was very happy with both his steak and sauce. Our guest was happy with her mussels, a generous portion for a starter size. There’s not much more you can say about such classic items and I’d be

1907 RESTAURANT

appalled if the chef could get these wrong.

Brooklands Hotel

So it was really just me who was not

Brooklands Drive

particularly impressed. Don’t let that put you off. Just choose wisely, and stick to the classics. We

Weybridge KT13 0SL

didn’t have time for dessert, but I am assured the

T: 01932 335700

peanut butter popcorn crème brulee is something

www.brooklandshotelsurrey.com

to behold.

Table Talk CHEF PROFILE

Ben McKellar By Amanda Menahem

en McKellar is not one for the limelight. You may not even have heard of him, but you will almost certainly have heard of

his restaurants – the Ginger group. The original Gingerman restaurant opened

John Burton Race at the two-Michelin L’Ortolan

and still be in the kitchen as much as I was.

in Berkshire before returning to Brighton and

Especially with a young family! Now I am

eventually launching what was to become,

enjoying a new kind of role to that of a chef,

arguably, one of the most successful food

focusing more on business strategy and acting

enterprises in our region.

as a mentor to my team. I still get involved in menu development and key strategic matters,

its doors back in 1998 and is still at the top

I can’t deny it, I’m a fan. I have never had

of its game today. Following the success of

a bad meal at any of his establishments. The

but I let my excellent team express themselves,

the Gingerman, Ben opened the Ginger Pig in

Ginger Pig is still, for me, the best Sunday

providing guidance when needed. I like to

Hove, representing the epitome of gastropub

roast in Brighton, and the Gingerman the best

nurture talent.

excellence. Then followed the Ginger Fox in

fine dining restaurant. The Fox is an exercise

Henfield and, most recently, the Ginger Dog

in country pub elegance. If only my waistline

in Kemptown, which opened in 2010. Ben is

could handle it, I’d be eating at one of the

Where do you get your inspiration? From my team mostly. We all keep abreast of the industry and what’s happening locally and

a bona fide local success story, having been

Gingers weekly. I was delighted to be able to

born and bred in Brighton. After college Ben

get some time with Ben…

further afield. We look at what’s cool, what’s

What’s important to you?

work for us. But we make sure we stick to our

spent time honing his cooking skills in some of the best restaurants in the South of France before returning to the UK. He worked under

Running a consistently high-quality group

core philosophy and brand. A good example

of restaurants. This means that I have to

is the refurbishment of the Gingerman. We

ensure very good staff who are motivated and

could see a trend toward a more informal

ambitious, and very good ingredients.

environment for fine dining and so created

With four restaurants, where do you focus? I am not in the kitchen as much as I used to be. I personally opened all four establishments

new and we see what, if any, elements might

a relaxed bistro feel while retaining the key features of our brand.

What do you cook at home? I mostly cook spicy food at home, curry

and cooked in all of them for many years. I

or other Asian food, although my kids love a

found I couldn’t run the business effectively

Sunday roast.

Table Talk

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Running a consistently high-quality group of restaurants. This means that I have to ensure very good staff who are motivated and ambitious, and very good ingredients.

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Guilty pleasures? Chocolate, whisky and peanut butter, not all together… although, actually...

What do you think of the local food scene? Sussex and Surrey are both great for food and wine. The Brighton food scene, in particular, has changed dramatically for the better over the last five years or so. There is now a fantastic, diverse range of eating places to suit every budget.

Where do you like to eat out? In Brighton, I like The Chilli Pickle, The Set, 64 Degrees, Meat Liquor, China Garden, and UniThai. In London, I love Lyle’s, Pitt Cue and Barrafina.

What’s next for you? We are about to start developing the upper floors at the Ginger Pig into 11 hotel rooms, which will hopefully open this year. Alongside this we will be expanding the food offering at the Pig to provide breakfasts and brunch and extending the outside space. Next year we hope to finally open The Ginger Fish as part of the Terraces development by the Pier. This will be an informal all-day café-style venue, serving classic, locally sourced, fresh fish and chips, but done really well. Look out for my review of the Gingerman in next month’s issue.

Table Talk PRODUCER PROFILE

Wiston Estate Winery By Amanda Menahem Dermot

And with her, the striking and vivacious Pip, the matriarch of the family and the visionary behind the success of the vineyard. It was Pip who finally persuaded her husband Harry to plant the vineyard back in 2006, having first conceived the idea some 40 years earlier - a result of feeling homesick for the rolling vineyards of her native South Africa. Today its 6000 acres lie on the chalky slopes of the South Downs, the vines themselves covering 16 acres on south-facing slopes with ‘terroir’ almost identical to the renowned Cote Des Blancs in Champagne. After planting the vines in 2006 the family still needed to actually make the wine. With no funds and no premises, they decided to approach the established nearby winery

Nyetimber, who agreed to make their wine

he funky, modern branding of Wiston

tour of the region over a year ago. It was a

for them, lead by head wine maker Dermot

Estate Winery caught my eye long ago,

highlight. Since then, their wines have received

Sugrue. Dermot soon joined the Wiston team.

and being a sucker for bubbles, I was

numerous accolades and rave reviews from the

destined to become a fan. I don’t like any old bubbles, however (I dislike many big brand Champagnes and as for Prosecco, well I just don’t get the craze when

likes of wine legend Jancis Robinson. And now me. I had a highly enjoyable afternoon with wonderful people. I was greeted warmly by the charming

Cava is so much better). I first experienced

Kirsty, a member of Goring family who have

Wiston sparkling wine aboard a gourmet bus

owned the entire Wiston Estate since 1743.

Pip

He set about finding a suitable wine making location (an old converted turkey farm) and scoured Europe for the right equipment. And so the winery was built. Luckily both Dermot and Pip share the same core values; organic principles, respecting nature, minimal processing, staying small, being authentic, doing what feels right rather than chasing profit. These principles embody the entire production process. Dermot sourced a rare ‘coquard press’, the only one of its kind in the UK. This ancient wooden mechanical press uses gravity to enable the grapes to be pressed very gently resulting in a cleaner, fresher end product. There are no herbicides or chemicals used (unusually) and no intervention in processing or filtration- the wine simply ‘does its thing’. This is not to say that the end product is totally left to fate (though one vintage did result in an accidental, and delicious, Rose!). No, they take great care in deciding how long to mature the wine, what type of barrel to use, and so on. Such care over every element also extends to the branding, which takes its

Table Talk

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This ancient wooden mechanical press uses gravity to enable the grapes to be pressed very gently, resulting in a cleaner, fresher end product.

recognisable and distinctive colour scheme from Pip’s favourite scarf.

Cuvée will appeal to those who

The garland like decoration that encircles the label is a copy of the

like their bubbles crisp and

decorative features to be found in the ceilings of the old family home

fruity and very dry. I adore the

Wiston House.

blanc de noir and Rosé (both

So what about the wine itself? There are four non-vintages. The brut is the classic 3/3/3 blend of all three grapes, the Rosé, a blanc de blanc (100% chardonnay) and a blanc de Noir (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). The vintage wines are the Wiston Cuvée 2010 and the Rosé 2011,

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the NV and the 2011), as I like the complexity and structure of these wines. Wiston’s wines can be found in a handful of local restaurants (including the Leconfield and the Chiltern

winner of 5 gold awards. These wines attract numerous critical acclaim.

Firehouse in London - both

The vintage Blancs de blanc 2010 won Gold at Sommelier Wine Award

reviewed in this magazine

2015 and Gold in the Drinks Business Global Masters 2014 and most

and available on my own

recently Gold at IWC 2016. The Blancs de blanc non vintage won

website PeoplePlacesFood.

Gold and Best in Class at The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World

co.uk). Stockists include

Championships 2014. Of the Wiston 2011 Rosé, Jane MacQuitty of

Corney and Barrow, Ten Green Bottles and Butlers in Brighton to name

the Times said “Another Dermot Sugrue triumph, this delicious,

but a few. And you can also buy directly from the website.

smoky, savoury, barrel-fermented rose oozes elegant sour cherry and raspberry class.” I was treated to a first taste of as yet unreleased wines; a 2011 Pinot Noir dominated vintage, which will be released just before Christmas, and a 2009 Brut Cuvée. Both were excellent. The blanc-de-blanc and 2010

Their award-winning Rosé wine

I found the family members I met to be extremely passionate, friendly, warm, welcoming and generous with their time. They plan to create a more customer-friendly space for wine tasting and food, more akin to the offerings at wineries in Pip’s native South Africa and the Napa Valley. Given their natural gift for hospitality, this will be a success. I for one will be a regular.

it’s a big decision .... VOTE IN TO GMB!

are you IN or OUT?

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Table Talk

Wine Masterclass SUMMER ASPARAGUS AND OTHER STORIES by Jonny Gibson

Talking of good reds, I was the guest

ne of the best things about this time

(Butlers Wine Cellar, Quaff Wines – both in

of year is when the signs appear at

Brighton £13), Albourne Estate Bacchus 2014

speaker at this month’s first Wednesday

the end of dusty tracks around Sussex

(South Downs Cellars, Hurstpierpoint and

wine tasting at Hotel du Vin Brighton and

for fresh asparagus. If you take your local and

Lindfield £12.95), Kingscote Vineyards Bacchus

the theme was red wines from around the

seasonal food seriously like me then you will

2014 (The English Wine Centre, Alfriston £19)

world. Two of them stood out for me and

know all about the joys of buttery steamed

or Bolney Pinot Gris (Waitrose £16).

they were both from the New World rather

Jersey royals, quickly cooked asparagus and hollandaise sauce. But what to drink with this early summer classic?

An undoubted perk of this job is the fact that I get to try a lot of different wines every week, either at our own tastings or in wine shops and trade tasting events. There really are some hidden gems out there and it always a joy to stumble across them. I am a big fan of green fruit wines with a stony mineral edge (think Chablis) and am always on the lookout for them. This style of white wine is perfect for summer drinking and it helps that my wife loves them too. Recent finds have included the excellent Gavi di Gavi Nuovo Quadre La

The wine and food pairing

Battistina 2015 (Butlers Wine Cellar, Brighton

gurus suggest Sauvignon Blanc,

£10.99), Nunzio Ghiraldi ‘Il Gruccione’ Lugana

particularly a cool climate,

2014 (Cucolo Deli, Heathfield £16), Kurt

herbaceous version from the

Angerer Loam Gruner Veltiner 2014 (Quaff

Loire valley as this seems to

Wines, Brighton £18) and Pazo Senorans Rías

partner the asparagus so well.

Baixas Albarino 2013 (Majestic £14.99).

Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé are great choices if you are looking to impress a business client but you can save the pennies by choosing a Touraine Sauvignon or a wine from a lesser known village appellation like Quincy, Reuilly or Menetou Salon. There’s no need to stick to Sauvignon either as there are plenty of zingy, grassy whites out there from other grape varieties.

Summertime usually means light to medium

than Europe which was interesting. Firstly the Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah 2014 from New Zealand which had gentle smoky peppery blackberry fruit and was very much like a northern Rhone wine (Hailsham Wine Cellars £12.95). South Downs Cellars also stock some of this producer’s range. Even better was Byron’s ‘ Neilson’ Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2013 which I thought was absolutely stunning with soft red berry fruits, floral and mineral notes and was more Burgundian than Californian. This would certainly be a real deal maker if you were dining at the hotel with a client. I couldn’t find it listed any

bodied reds. We had our first

further south than Noel

barbecue of the summer this

Young wines in Cambridge.

weekend now that the sun has

Independent wine shops in

finally come out with butterflied

Sussex – please stock it!

lamb and a new season salad with crumbly goats cheese. We tried a few different reds and one stood out. A delicious Chateau Cambon Beaujolais 2014 with lovely crunchy cherry and spice and made from organically grown grapes (Ten Green Bottles, Brighton

You can match your Sussex asparagus with

£14.50). Good Beaujolais is

something closer to home with an English dry

a wonderous thing and we

white wine such as the excellent Davenport

should drink more of it at this

Vineyards Horsmonden Dry White 2013

time of year.

Jonny Gibson is the head tutor and owner of Sussex Wine School, an independent company that runs regular tastings and courses including WSET Levels 1-3 in Brighton, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells. www.sussexwineschool.com

SECRET SURREY

HITTING THE TARGET Horley exhibition company, Target in 1, has launched a brand-new business expo, in partnership with Gatwick Diamond Business. Director Natasha Money tells PBM about the new venture…

Why did you start Target in 1? I had always wanted to run my own company

What is your background? My background has, except for two years

and the opportunity arose after working with a

living in Milan, been within the publishing

friend who had a number of years’ experience

arena. My first field sales role was at Johnston

Describe what Target does and what makes the company different? Target in 1 Limited is essentially a print and

Press, where I was fortunate enough to have

exhibition stand designer and supplier but with

quality sales training which prepared me for

a difference. Our hire kit allows us to create

the fast-paced, highly target-driven role. It

stands for our clients which can be completely

was then that I realised how much I enjoyed

adapted, depending on the event, location and

seeing clients face-to-face and being out on the

planning, Target in 1 Limited was incorporated

stand size. The client can look impressive,

road. Working for the newspaper has without

without the hefty purchase-price tag. The

in July 2013 and started trading in November of

question given me the basics I have needed in

panels can be used time and time again to

the same year. In March 2015, Target in 1 won

most of my working life and has cemented my

create different structures, keeping the interest

Gatwick Diamond New Business of the Year.

passion for sales and marketing.

for the client and stand visitors.

within the exhibition field. With my Sales and Marketing background and Mark Dunn’s knowledge of exhibitions, it was the perfect partnership. After a number of months’

For more information visit www.targetbusinessexpo.co.uk

SECRET SURREY we agreed there was a definite need. As a Gatwick Diamond Member I knew that we wanted to work with the gdb team on this event. With our exhibition experience and gdb’s events and networking knowledge, I knew that we would work well together and have all bases covered. For us it is about creating a business event that would offer quality seminars and networking alongside the exhibition, and that is what gdb do best.

What can visitors expect on the day? Target in 1 Limited win New Business of the Year, presented by Paul Roe The customer is at the forefront of everything we do. We tailor the service to suit the needs of each individual client and will, in some cases, source, create or design something completely bespoke for an exhibition stand. Target in 1 take care of all the logistics and will set up and break down the stand, leaving the customer free to focus on their team and the exhibition.

everything, and it is so much easier to leave

Jay Hine from Optima Systems said: “Target in 1 take the hassle and pain out of exhibiting. We were new to exhibiting, but Target in 1 made our stand look professional and made the entire experience a breeze. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”

to promote our own brand. We believe that we

Why did you diversify into organising exhibitions? I am a strong believer in face-to-face networking. For me, first impressions are

a lasting impression than after a telephone conversation. As a stand supplier, we believe that exhibitions are one of the most targeted and successful ways of meeting prospective clients. It is also the part of my job that I enjoy the most. Target in 1 Limited has seen both sides of an exhibition, from working with clients on their stand to exhibiting ourselves can use this knowledge to create a Business Exhibition which will be well organised and will offer local businesses the opportunity to find new, quality business leads.

Why are you launching an expo in the Gatwick Diamond, and why partner with gdb? I have always (apart from two years) lived and worked within the local area and saw a gap in the market where we felt an exhibition was needed, and so we created the Target Business Expo. After our first event in Dorking, Surrey, we had been looking for venues in Gatwick and Crawley as we felt there was a strong need for an exhibition of this type in the area. After speaking with a number of local businesses,

You will be able to start off the day with the gdb Networking Breakfast before the exhibition doors open. Visitors can start conversations and gain leads whilst enjoying coffee and breakfast. The main doors to the expo open at 10am and you will be able to visit over 150 stands offering services, advice, new products and much more. A schedule of free seminars will run throughout the day and there is no need to book these; just take a seat and enjoy. The gdb Speakers Conference will offer delegates the opportunity to hear from three professional speakers: Lara Morgan, speaking on Business and Entrepreneurship, Geoff Meade, speaking on Europe and the Eu and Rt Hon Lord Andrew Adonis, speaking on Transport and Infrastructure. Tickets to the Networking Breakfast and gdb Speakers Conference can be purchased in advance through the event website.

Why should businesses exhibit? If you are looking to do business within the Gatwick Diamond, there is truly no better place for you to be. You will undoubtedly gain more leads and make more connections on this one day than you could on the road or on the telephone. Stand prices start at just £185.00 + vat to make it more affordable for small businesses as well as large.

INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT DAVID SEALL CEng FRAeS MiMMM MIoD David is the Regional Chairman of IoD South. He is a former Chair of IoD Surrey and is an experienced Non-Executive Director. He is retained by DMH Stallard LLP as their Strategic Adviser Manufacturing www.davidseall.co.uk ∕ www.dmhstallard.com

he IoD recently published a white paper concerning the development of skills. We all know in the world of business

that one of the major factors that holds back the growth and development of a business is finding people with the right skills. These skills can either be technical or “soft” but when the gap manifests itself it certainly can apply the brakes. Most of us today will be using skills that

of providers, businesses, academics and

work experiences should become compulsory

other stakeholders with a focus on delivering

for all students from the age of 13 onwards so

education today for tomorrow’s workplace.

that young people can learn from employers

Whether we like it or not STEM skills

and be better informed and equipped to make

will underpin many of the potential high-

the right choices to help achieve their future

growth industries in the UK economy, but the

career aspirations. At least they will find out

misperceived importance of higher A-Level

about the current world of work. Of course this

grades is turning students towards subjects

will need us in the world of business to support

they will do well in, rather than those that

them and break down barriers.

will be most valuable in the workplace. It’s

Lifelong learning will be key to this future,

we didn’t have twenty years ago, certainly

important that students enjoy higher education

ones that we didn’t gain at school, college or

with new innovative methods of engagement

and that they develop their communication

university. The world of work today assumes

and delivery. Futurelearn at the BBC is one

skills but it’s highly probable that they will

IT literacy and now the ability to continue

such offering. Flexibility will be key to enabling

increasingly use STEM skills in their working

working whilst on the move, out of the oﬃce

people to continue to learn and also develop a

lives.

breadth of knowledge that can then build up to

environment.

achieve some recogniseable qualification that

I’m sure that most will agree that the

fits some sort of curriculum.

expansion of the internet means the labour market no longer rewards workers primarily for what they know, but for what they can do with what they know. There are so many on-line sources of data that there is no longer a need to have these facts stored in the memory. Indeed following recent reviews to the education system, we are at risk of turning our schools into ‘exam factories’ still teaching method and recall, the easiest skills to

“Schools must refocus on the application of knowledge rather than simply the acquisition of it, to boost the level of soft skills in future generations.”

training their staff and the income tax system should therefore be flexed to encourage and enable individual learners to upskill throughout their working lives. The full IoD paper can be found here http:// www.iod.com/influencing/policy-papers/ education-and-skills/reforming-education-forchange

Schools must refocus on the application of

On more domestic matters at IoD, some will

knowledge rather than simply the acquisition generations.

employers would encourage them to invest in

an-age-of-technological-and-demographic-

automate.

of it, to boost the level of soft skills in future

Of course this still needs to be funded and paid for. An enhanced tax deduction for

be aware that our Regional Director Rodger The level of careers guidance given to young

Broad will be standing down after twelve very

people is generally poor, with what little there

successful years in the role. I’m sure those that

curricula should be independent of political

is focused on an outdated and static idea of a

have met Rodger will join me in wishing him

interference and instead informed, and

jobs market.

every success in the future and thank him for

The paper espouses that the Education

continuously re-examined, by an expert body

The IoD’s view is that multiple, high-quality

all of his tireless work on our behalf.

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