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Yorkshire Post Business Awards: Give us the freedom to bring out the best of British
VICTOR Watson CBE has urged the Government to free small businesses from the tyranny of regulation so they can lead Yorkshire out of recession and help make Britain great again.
The winner of the Yorkshire Post Individual Award made the call in a passionate speech at the finale of Friday's Excellence in Business Awards ceremony. His comments were greeted with a standing ovation.
Mr Watson told the audience: "I don't think subsidies should be given to businesses, but the small businesses should be relieved of many of the shackles, many of the controls and many of the restrictions.
"Freedom is what we want.
"Look at the great nations, the great cities of the past; Venice, Amsterdam, London even. Why did they succeed? Because of freedom. Intellectual freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of association, free trade and because of that, enterprising people went to those places.
"It could be the same here. If the smaller and medium-sized enterprises are encouraged and freed from the shackles then they will snap at the heels of the bigger companies and make Britain great again." Mr Watson added that if there are subsidies available, then Yorkshire should get its fair share.
He also praised Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, and its chief executive Tom Riordan.
The 81-year-old is the former chairman of Waddingtons, the Leeds-based manufacturer of Monopoly and Cluedo. He has held directorships at organisations including Yorkshire Television, Leeds Building Society and Topps Tiles.
Mr Watson revealed the most important lesson he has learned during a career in business which has spanned more than six decades.
"You can't do anything without people. Sometimes people say choose a good team. If you're in the Army, the team is given to you. You have to do your best with them. But at Bootham School in York I learned everybody has something to offer. Everybody can make a contribution, if only they are dealt with properly, fairly and decently. Everything is achieved through people."
And he emphasised the importance of business leaders getting practical experience at a grassroots level.
"Looking back right to the beginning, something I did that was very important was to work on the shop floor. It's a pity that everybody can't do it. It opened the doors for me to the way people thought and the way they reacted. Everybody should work on the shop floor."
Mr Watson drew a comparison between winning in Monopoly and winning in business.
He said: "It's very similar in many ways to business, but in Monopoly one person ends up with everything and the others with nothing, whereas in business everybody can succeed if they get their act together.
"The way to win at Monopoly is to mortgage everything to maximise your resources and take a big risk. I have tried to persuade my children and grandchildren that if they risk all, they might win, (but] they are more likely to lose, so at least they will know they have played the game properly and can go and make the tea with a good conscience."
The political speaker was Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, MP for Normanton and a close adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Mr Balls urged business leaders to visit their old schools and share with the pupils how they succeeded in business.
He said: "Say to them 'once upon a time I was in year 10 too, and I didn't know what I was going to do, but I worked hard, when I failed I tried again, I succeeded and you can do the same thing too'.
"You will change lives doing that. That's the way in which businesses can be engaged.
This is about the future of our economy. It's about the future skills of the region. The future of our country I believe is genuinely in all of your hands. In partnership schools, education and business really can make it happen."
Jon Culshaw, the acclaimed comedian, delivered a virtuoso performance as master of ceremonies, with impressions of political figures including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, George W Bush and William Hague.
He said: "How the world of comedy will miss George Bush.
We'll enjoy the story of Obama greatly. But in comedy terms he certainly probably won't replace George Bush. The politician to replace George Bush is probably Boris Johnson." The Excellence in Business Awards – the fourth annual awards to be organised by the Yorkshire Post – took place at the Queens Hotel in Leeds.
THE WINNERS
Young Entrepreneur of The Year
Tom Pybus of TJ Pybus
Sponsored by O2
University Spin-Out of The Year
Image Analysis
Innovation of The Year
Harvard Engineering
Sponsored by Yorkshire Innovation
SME Manufacturer of The Year
Surgical Innovations
Sponsored by Manufacturing Advisory Service
Exporter of The Year
AES Engineering
Best Company To Work For
World Events
Sponsored by Bradford University School of Management
Young Business of The Year
Benchmark Recruit
Sponsored by Yorkshire Forward
Companies Under 10m Turnover
Red Embedded
Sponsored by Yorkshire Bank
Companies With Turnover of Between 10m And 50m
The bigwordGroup
Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers
Companies With Turnover of Over 50m
R&R Ice Cream
Sponsored by DLA Piper
Individual Award For Yorkshire Excellence
Victor Watson CBE DL
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Friday 25 May 2012
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