Yorkshire business guru lands post as Whitehall adviser

Lawrence Tomlinson, the millionaire racing car manufacturer and founding chairman of Garforth-based LNT Group, was unveiled yesterday as one of two “entrepreneurs-in-residence” at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Mr Tomlinson, who has amassed an estimated fortune of £500m through his construction and care home empire, will spend one day a week at BIS offering advice to officials and senior Ministers on how Government can do more to help entrepreneurs in society.

Mr Tomlinson said helping firms access finance and cutting back red tape were areas on which he would be focusing his attention.

“It’s a case of how I can help pinpoint the areas which would be most effective to help get UK PLC going,” he said.

“Whenever I do a talk or anything with entrepreneurs, there seems to be a difficulty with getting access to finance. Anything Government can do to help would be very much appreciated.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable will be one of the Ministers relying on the former Batley Grammar School pupil’s advice.

“We want to produce policies that are friendly to entrepreneurs – and to do that we need to understand where they are coming from and what their experience has been,” Mr Cable said.

“Lawrence is a seasoned, serial entrepreneur with 2,000 people on his books.

“I’m not criticising the civil service (but) they’re not business people – otherwise they would be in business making money.

“There is a bit of a divide, and it’s also true in the political class as well.”