If proof were needed that a week can be a long time in politics – this was it. On Thursday, Parliament will be dissolved and then we’ll jump headfirst into the carnage of a General Election.
I don’t have any unique insights on the politics of the decision to call an election now. Nor will we be recommending which way you should vote on 4th July. But I would like to reiterate what I think should come next and state something we can all do to make politics a bit better.
It’s trite to write, but whoever wins needs to harness the power of entrepreneurs to innovate, create jobs and grow the economy. Luckily for whoever wins, our recent publication Building Blocks sets out how to do just that.
First, and arguably foremost, an incoming Government must address under-agglomeration, namely the housing and infrastructure crisis in our big cities. Agglomeration is the basis of all productive economies, and will only become more important in a world increasingly characterised by intangible capital. But a wealth of evidence shows that Britain falls short of its potential, with political incentives making it harder to build entrepreneurial hubs, connect them with one another, and allow them to grow.
In fact, if you’re equally passionate about ‘getting Britain building’ then request a place for this private dinner we are co-hosting with Britain Remade on Thursday. Their policies have been backed by politicians across the political spectrum and they will continue to have influence whoever wins.
Building Blocks also calls for the next Government to rationalise the tax system, get innovative around innovation funding, and double down on attracting and training top talent.
Getting all this right will create the wealth to upgrade our public services, but it goes deeper than that. Our public services themselves could be revolutionised by entrepreneurs and innovators. Whether genomic medicine and diagnostics for healthcare; AI-driven personalised learning for education; or autonomous vehicles for travel – we could see huge changes to the way we live over the course of a Parliament. Or we might not. A lot comes down to politics.
This brings me to what I think you could do about it. It’s easy to be cynical about politics, but this doesn’t get us anywhere. Whether you have a party affiliation or not, you can make a difference by seeking out candidates and supporting them. This support doesn’t need to be financial or involve knocking on doors (though it could). It might just be a matter of acknowledging publicly when they are doing admirable things.
We all know that many very good people are being put off going into politics because of the toxic environment of being a politician. We all have a role to play in making that environment more conducive to good policymaking.
You will be able to find the names of your Prospective Parliamentary Candidates here. And while I don’t expect you to read Hansard, you can subscribe to our All-Party Parliamentary Party Group for Entrepreneurship digest, where we update you from the Commons and the Lords on speeches relevant to entrepreneurs.
Your involvement in politics need not be confined to voting. By getting involved in our work you can have an influence. We regularly host events with MPs and Peers where you can be heard. But we are not alone – there are plenty of other think tanks you can get involved with. Sign up for their newsletters too and you’ll be invited to events like the ones we put on (although I can’t guarantee they will all be as good as ours).
If you Build it
Another way you can get more involved is by becoming an Adviser. We are busy growing our base of supporters and this week Raphael Dennett has joined us. He is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Exeter and Deputy Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship there.
His areas of expertise are focused on regenerative and sustainable entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and the application of entrepreneurship education to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurial and innovative graduates. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programmes that Raphael delivers at Exeter now have thousands of students per year with graduates delivering impact in every sector imaginable.
Find out about becoming an Adviser here.
Lilac Review
The Lilac Review was launched earlier this year to understand the key changes required to make the world of entrepreneurship more equitable to disabled entrepreneurs. I sit on the steering board and am delighted to share that its interim report has been published. Let me know if you have any feedback. I'll be writing more about it in due course.