Andrew Scott 10 Downing Street Visit: A Business Leader’s Perspective
I’ve never been particularly political, so it was an absolute surprise and honour to be invited to 10 Downing Street last week.
Moving past the tourists, through security and up to that famous door was unforgettable, but stepping inside and discovering 300 years of history was truly inspiring.
Sitting on the Prime Minister’s chair in the cabinet room, where the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair held court and made decisions that impacted not only our entire country, but also influenced the whole world.
Or walking around the State Room, where dignitaries and Royal families are entertained, and formal announcements are made in times of national interest, in front of the world’s media.
But of course, No 10 is the seat of British Government, and I was there on invitation from our MP, Dan Alridge, who has a deep interest in technology and AI, while we both also share a passionate interest in the betterment of our town, Weston-super-Mare.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve been fortunate to have created hundreds of jobs for local people; some of those employees have moved on to develop stellar careers elsewhere, others have remained and helped me build a world-class marketing, tech and media group.
The Downing Street visit follows a trip to Westminster a few months ago, when I attended Prime Minister’s Question Time and had the pleasure of meeting The Rt Hon Sir Peter Kyle MP, now the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
We discussed the changing role technology would play in business and how AI would change the workplace forever. I’ve suggested Peter take some time to visit the South West and meet our technology team, and gain a real insight into the role small businesses can play in the big world of tech and AI.
For someone like me, growing up in social housing in Ireland and moving to mainland Britain at 18 years old, with no money or qualifications, it was a life-changing experience.
It reminds me that it doesn’t matter where we come from; our past does not determine our future. The future is ours to create, to shape, to bring to life.
A future in politics? Not for me, or at least not in the foreseeable future. But I do think SME business leaders need to show up in politics, be heard, and influence policy. After all, 60% of private sector jobs are in the SME sector, representing almost 17 million jobs.