Roger King in 'coffee shop nation' warning
Mar 11 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post
Top UK industry boss Roger King – who is campaigning for a £10 million emergency loan for LDV from Birmingham City Council – has warned that Britain could become “a nation of coffee shops.”
The former Northfield Tory MP, who is chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said firms such as LDV could go to the wall unless government help was provided urgently.
At a VIP dinner at the Mansion House in the City of London last night, Mr King told 350 leading dignitatries: “As the recession tightens its icy grip, all over the UK, businesses, especially those engaged in manufacturing, will reel from the shock.
“Already the motor industry is a prime victim. In the West Midlands Jaguar Land Rover are striving to meet the challenge. But for LDV and taxi maker Manganese Bronze it may be too much to hope for survival unless help is given. Are we to abandon manufacturing in the UK? Are we doomed to become a nation of coffee shops?
“We are not talking about throwing money at basket cases as economic commentators would have us believe, but wealth creators temporarily stranded by the current financial tsunami.”
Mr King, who last week called for Birmingham City Council to stump up £10 million for cash-stricken LDV and for Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to match it from government coffers, said solving the financial sector’s problems could not be at the expense of the rest of UK plc.
“The Government must rebalance our economy and allow companies such as LDV and Manganese Bronze the chance to invest in greener technology and thereby create a secure future.”
