Our new Job Creators report has been featured widely in the media. The Financial Times ran a page two story, titled: “Migrants drive UK’s fastest-growing companies, study finds”. The report’s author, Sam Dumitriu, wrote an op-ed for CapX (“The vital role of immigrants in start up Britain”). “At a time of rising pessimism about the UK economy, a vibrant startup scene attracting record levels of venture capital investment is a rare bright spot,” he said.
Sam was interviewed by Mike Graham on talkRADIO for a segment on the report (11.30am-12pm, from 4m40). He outlined the report’s findings, and how these founders are making an outsized contribution to our economy and society, to job and wealth creation. Sam also flagged the absurd example of one entrepreneur being rejected by the Home Office because they disagreed with his assessment that the “UK is a very stable country with very little risk of fluctuation in business markets”, given the UK’s planned exit from the European Union.
In his Forbes column, our founder Philip Salter, made the case for policymakers to prioritise preserving the UK’s status as a destination for entrepreneurs and skilled workers who will enable their businesses to flourish. Policy contributor Fred Lindsay also covered our report in Forbes, calling the Entrepreneurs Network the latest voice “calling for Britain to remain open to foreign entrepreneurs and founders.”
Philip also penned an op-ed for City AM, writing “The history of Britain’s best businesses can’t be told without the story of immigrants – there would be no Marks & Spencer without Belarusian refugee Michael Marks.”
And Annabel Denham criticised Theresa May’s fixation with the net migration target while praising Boris Johnson’s pro-immigration stance in the Telegraph. She writes, “With the Fourth Industrial Revolution underway, we will need bold individuals willing to strike out alone and create the jobs of the future.” Many will come from overseas.
Blythe Edwards also covered the report in CapX (“Research by The Entrepreneurs Network shows that while only 14% of UK residents are foreign-born, a whopping 49% of the UK’s fastest-growing startups have at least one foreign born co-founder.”) Finextra also used the data as the basis for their article on the importance of migration to the future of UK fintech, while IT Pro used the report to call for visa reform.