WhiteLake Group
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
Search

THE RE-ELECTION GAME

5/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureDavid Cameron visiting the Game of Thrones set last month before re-election. He said he was "fully up-to-date" with the latest episodes of the series. SOURCE: BBC
So after a dramatic general election in the UK we have a new Conservative government winning a majority that nobody could have predicted. I will dispense with the broader political analysis.

What does this mean for London Tech City?  A few things to take away…

David Cameron will govern without the need for a coalition allowing the Tories to implement their manifesto in full. So what exactly does their manifesto say for the digital economy? Well quite frankly, not much. Fisherman and farmers: they’ve got paragraph or two. Tech entrepreneurs however, despite having created hundreds of thousands jobs over the past five years, have, surprisingly, nothing. No pledges, no promises. Hopefully that could turn out to be a blessing, and the current structures may remain the same. Cameron and Osbourne have always championed the success of the UK’s tech industries and so we can hope that this will naturally continue throughout the next parliament.



The EU referendum... Unfortunately, Mr. Cameron is now committed to a referendum on EU membership sometime in 2016/17. This creates a period of uncertainty for all business, but a major issue for Tech City. London is a magnet for the global tech industry, a magnet that depends not only on British talent, but that of European, and of those from around the globe. The Tories are generally held to be the most pro-business, it would seem that the existing SEIS/ EIS/ Non-Dom system will remain. However, this government appears determined to use a heavy handed approach to immigration control, significantly affecting our talent pool.

Last week Michel VanHoonacker of the Belgium-Luxembourg-UK Chamber of Commerce  introduced me to three awesome start-ups: Jackopaw, Individuum and Hyghlyne. All born in their home countries of Luxembourg and Belgium, but now based in London; they may have had traction in their original markets, but have come to London to truly realise their potential. The huge, competitive environment is helping to prove their business models and raise finance. These are the people at the heart of Tech City, contributing so much to the London tech eco system. If other entrepreneurs choose not to cross the channel because of a possible Brexit, London loses.


By Ashok Parekh, Director of Investment Services

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    CONTRIBUTORS


    JOHN ROWLAND, Managing Partner, Whitelake Group

    SIERRA CHOI,
    Adviser, Whitelake Group


    ASHOK PAREKH,
    Director of Investment Services,

    Whitelake Group


    Archives

    June 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact