Rob Paston

British businesses have been bought by foreign companies.

The numbers of businesses actually floating on the London Stock Exchange is about, I don't know, it's trivial.

I mean, it's like a billion or something.

I'm not even sure it's as much as that.

But basically...

This is just one aspect.

I mean, the more worrying aspect is just the sheer number of these startups that when they get to a certain size, in order, they feel, to become global leaders, they sell out to either a San Francisco interest or Singapore interest.

You looked at the problem that British capital is not backing Britain.

It's still a grotesque problem.

We would agree, I'm sure.

But we are, you know, very much optimists, Steph and I. But I'm going to...

pose something that I've heard Steph pose before to you, which is the missing link in all of this is, you know, if you look, I mean, there are some literally mind-bogglingly brilliant businesses at the moment that are raising, you know, billions based in London, and fingers crossed they'll stay British, right?

But if you are in Middlesbrough,

you think to yourself, what is the connection between these people getting unbelievably rich in London and my life when I can barely afford to pay for the basics?

And so the missing link in all of this is how does one connect

What is sort of economic – definitely economic success, but how do you connect that with the lives of people who just look at what's been happening in this country for 20 years and say, you know, Westminster just has done nothing for me.

And these businesses that are incredibly successful have done nothing for me.

How do you make that connection?

Which I think is a positive note probably to all this to a close.

What do you think?