DESPITE it being the “silly season” for news, the Government chose to make two business announcements this week.
Firstly it revealed its “blueprint” for how the £13bn Northern Powerhouse agenda will “transform” the North.
This blueprint apparently sets out the plans for improving transport links throughout the North and Midlands and transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said it is all part of the Government “investing for the future”.
“Across the north, that investment is already having a huge impact, with programmes underway to upgrade our railways and our roads. We are determined to keep the momentum going.”
I don’t see very much momentum at present.
Plans to upgrade rail systems across the North have stalled and the M1 motorway between Leeds and the Midlands is now virtually 50mph all the way as part of creating what is described as a “smart motorway” system.
The only thing it is currently doing is leaving motorists smarting at the tailbacks and delays.
Perhaps given Patrick McLoughlin’s comments, it is a good job he reserved them for the silly season.
Secondly the Government appointed entrepreneur Michelle Mone, co-founder of the Ultimo Bra business, to conduct a review of entrepreneurship.
Apparently she has been tasked with looking at how business start-ups and entrepreneurship can be encouraged in disadvantaged communities, including the North.
Don’t worry, this isn’t the cue for a misogynistic rant about women in business. I’ve seen her speak at the Yorkshire International Business Convention and was impressed by her story of success after rising from an impoverished childhood in a Glasgow tenement block to creating the Ultimo business.
But her appointment by David Cameron follows on from his promotion of West Ham’s Karen Brady, who appears on TV’s The Apprentice, to the House of Lords.
And that comes after the high profile collapse of the charity Kids Company was accompanied by suggestions that the Prime Minister had been “dazzled” by the organisation’s flamboyant, media-savvy founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh.
It all points to a PM that appears to put media profile above other things.
Are you precluded from being appointed to a role by this Government if you are a successful entrepreneur or business person but haven’t been on the telly?
You and I have probably never heard of some of the most successful entrepreneurs in Britain because they are too busy running their companies and don’t seek the glare of publicity at every opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong, good PR can really benefit a business, but in my experience, those who have sought out that glare with a little too much desire have often lived to regret it.
Perhaps next time David Cameron appoints someone to advise him on business and we all say, “who’s that” then we’ll know he’s picked a winner.
But that is pretty unlikely, because if business people shy away from publicity, then the last place they will go is anywhere near politics.
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MY self-pitying reference last week to a suggestion that nobody reads this blog was greeted with an avalanche of positive responses.
Ok, maybe a couple of readers who took pity on me and a care in the community outreach team.
Paul Martin of stockbrokers Brewin Dolphin says he is a regular reader of the blog and “long may it continue. Love the blend of hard hitting, make you think commentary interspersed with laugh out loud humour”. (That’s going on the CV).
Paul added: “Totally agree with the piece around qualifications, I have done work with some of the kids at Thornhill Academy (Educating Yorkshire) and whilst some of them will not go to university they demonstrated to me an enthusiasm and willingness to listen and learn which will serve them well…..given the right opportunities.”
Meanwhile my mention of bumping into Reward Finance’s Dave Jones at the Trent Bridge Ashes test match brought a response from the man himself.
“Parki – where were you when I needed you?
“I was ejected out of the ground by 14 (yes 14) stewards merely because I gave somebody the Richard Head sign as a result of him acting like an idiot all afternoon. The 14 stewards accosted me and asked me to leave the ground. They said the offensive gesticulation that they had witnessed was sufficient to ask me to leave. I asked them how could you eject somebody who was already leaving (the last ball had just been bowled) especially if you were only 20 yards from the exit?
“The 14 stewards looked at each other and could not come up with a suitable retort. Hence I left with my dignity intact and my good character untarnished.
“I did say to them though that they should concentrate their efforts on throwing out camp men with horrendous coloured polo shirts who unbelievably think it is fashionable to wear their collar up. The 14 stewards agreed with me and and then set off in your direction.”
I’m positive there is a compliment in there somewhere.
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TRIBUTES were paid this week to David Nobbs, the comedy writer who created Reginald Perrin and who has died at the age of 80.
After a faltering start as a reporter on the Sheffield Star, Nobbs got his big break following a telephone call to the 1960s BBC satire show, That Was The Week That Was saw him contributing regularly.
The show’s star and main presenter David Frost soon had him writing for subsequent programmes including The Frost Report and Frost on Sunday before he became a writer for a who’s who of British comedy greats such as The Two Ronnies, Dick Emery, Ken Dodd, Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd, Jimmy Tarbuck, and, with his great friend Barry Cryer, did no less than 68 shows with Les Dawson.
In later years David Nobbs moved to live near Harrogate. I was introduced to him once in the Hotel du Vin and remember a totally modest man who despite my many questions, played down his achievements and began to ask me questions!
Given that the man who introduced us was well known Harrogate bon viveur, raconteur and entrepreneur (I don’t know whether he has actually started a business but I don’t know any other French words than end in ‘eur’) Tim Cottier, I wondered afterwards whether Nobbs had ever considered creating a show based on the life of this flamboyant, rose-wine drinking spa town cross between Terry-Thomas and Leslie Phillips?
But then I dismissed the idea.
Nobody would ever believe such a character exists.
Ding dong, you’re not wrong.
Have a great weekend.