Fixing Britain

No nonsense solutions from the straight-talking face of British business. IF FUNDAMENTAL REFORM DOES NOT TAKE PLACE THEN WE ARE DEAD IN THE WATER. GLOBALISATION DOES NOT TAKE PRISONERS. BRITAIN MUST BECOME FIT FOR PURPOSE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. This is the explosive, first book from 'the face of British business', Lord Digby Jones. With a renowned, no-nonsense, straight-talking approach, he is one of the world's most acclaimed business commentators. In his candid and forthright style Fixing Britain puts the spotlight on critical national and international business issues and lays out the essential reform urgently needed for the growth of our nation. Knowledgeable, authoritative and independent, Digby highlights how untenable the status quo is in the UK, and sets out how Britain can get back in – and stay in – the globalised race. Sending a clear message to government, business leaders, strategists and the media, Fixing Britain explores the effective linkage of change at all levels, from Westminster to education, the public and private sectors, our social cohesion and our sense of common purpose. Digby is never afraid to say what others are thinking - this is the most explosive examination of the state of British business in years.

1 Five Minutes to Midnight – Time for Change 1 2 The Voice of Business 33 3 The Globe-Trotting Goat – Tethered by Westminster and Whitehall 83 4 Education, Education, Education? 125 5 The World Moves East 159 6 The Business of Politics: Fixing the System 199 7 Taxing Britain Out of Business 233 8 The Gimme Society 265 9 Our Great Britain 287 Acknowledgements 305 Index 306