Annika Bosanquet

What can we do about it?

1. Reward me for taking risks and working harder: Incentivise businesses to invest in themselves. Allow business proprietors to release personal equity from their mortgages and relieve them of stamp duty so they can invest further in their businesses. Get the government to incentivise in the same way as its doing for private health and pension schemes; match pound to pound each penny invested once profitability is consistent or employees reach a certain headcount.
   
   
2. Let’s get on with making money & employing people: Focus away from filling universities with 18 year olds unclear what to do with their lives and guide them towards apprenticeships. Incentivise them with the opportunity to re-enter education at 25 years old by paying for their university fees and giving them a living wage whilst they study (whatever the course; they have paid their way in taxes for seven years and so are due a sabbatical!!)
   
   
3. Make friends with emerging markets: Encourage emerging market work placements for Home Office employees. We need to build solid relationships with the Chinese in particular, and learn their language and culture
   
   
4. Train while I work = accelerate to a higher wage: Cap migrant workers and incentivise low-skilled British workers to return to manufacturing and small businesses, by ensuring they receive five hours skilled training a week in a related subject (book-keeping, engineering, plumbing etc).
   
   
5. Britain is best at…: We need to identify the key areas that Britain wants to be good at and shout about it. As British nationals (from all cultures and work backgrounds), we want to know in which direction our economy is heading. Unfortunately, Britain appears to be promoting itself as a credit culture good at one thing only: shopping, shopping, shopping.”