A Brexit Business Plan

Robert Wootton FRSALeave a comment

In the absence of a government Business Plan for Brexit, I think that the plan described here would find favour with the electorate.

1 The first step is to trigger Article 50 for the formal exit from the EU.

2 Cease our subscription/membership payments to the EU immediately.

3. Enact in to UK law the components of a fair and just economic system as described in the e-book “Creating Responsible Capitalism”.

4 Tell the EU Commissioners and MEPs that the existing trading/business arrangements will continue until such time as the EU decides to end those arrangements. It will be the responsibility of the parties to the business arrangement/contract to then, with the relevant UK government officials, to re-negotiate that arrangement.

5 People from anywhere in the world can work in the UK if they have a job/employment already offered to and accepted by them.

6 UK embassies throughout the world will have a list employment opportunites in the UK. All applicants will have to have the UK equivalent of a CRB check. No person with an “unspent” criminal record will be allowed to come to the UK. Citizens of countries other than the UK wll need to have the relevant NVQ for the job they are applying for. Foreign nationals will be allowed to take the NVQ test/examination, IN ENGLISH, at the UK embassy in their own country. This will create a “level playing field” for jobseekers in the UK and the rest of the w.orld

For Excellence in Educational Attainment

Robert Wootton FRSALeave a comment

The way forward for a comprehensive education for every child is shown in this TedTalk video.

It leads to individual excellence for all pupils by introducing pupil/student centred learning. Students are free to learn a subject at a pace that suits each one. It also increases the teacher’s time by eliminating bureaucracy/paperwork and allowing them more time to teach their class on a one to one basis.

But watch the video. It gives much better explanation than I can here. There is no need for grammar schools, academies or free schools and reduce the need for Ofsted inspections.

And another link;https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread-b

A Transport Policy for the 21st Century

Robert Wootton FRSALeave a comment

If you wanted to travel to France on the ferry, would you expect to board at Dover, then sail on to Portsmouth, Weymouth, Plymouth and Falmouth to pick up more passengers; then cross the Channel to Calais via Guernsey, Jersey and St. Malo? If that happened, people would start buying their own boats to do the trip!!

But this is what happens on a scheduled bus/coach trip. If I want to travel to Birmingham from Bideford in North Devon, the route starts at Westward Ho! and goes via Bideford, Barnstaple, Tiverton on to the M5 to Bridgewater. Then on to Bristol where you might have to change buses. Then on to Gloucester, Cheltenham and finally Birmingham. The journey takes nearly all day. The service is provided by….wait for it….National Express!!! By car the journey takes around three hours, less time if you drive fast, though with the cost of fuel it is more expensive. But it is more convenient.

What if… At every motorway junction we built our bus terminii, multistorey carparks, warehousing and business parks? And specially built eco-friendly coaches that travelled solely up and down the motorways at a cruise control speed. It would mean two changes of vehicle but it would greatly reduce the carbon footprint of the buses and overall journey times would be less.

To bring such a policy into effect will involve changing the system of corporation tax. For example, no corporation tax on new companies that introduce eco-friendly coaches on Motorway only services. Also taxi drivers/owners whose mileage is greater than 50000 per year should be exempt or pay only a nominal road fund tax e.g. £10. Also they should automatically reclaim VAT or customs and excise duty on the fuel they use. If taxi journeys were less expensive, less people would need to run their own cars. Thus reducing the nations carbon footprint even more.