Britain ‘too lazy and fat’, says Trade Secretary Liam Fox
BRITISH executives prefer to play golf rather than fulfilling their “duty” as exporters, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has suggested in an extraordinary attack on the country’s “lazy” business culture.
The Cabinet minister suggested the UK had lost its way as a trading nation and had grown “too fat” on the successes of previous generations.
Number 10 distanced itself from Dr Fox’s comments, with a source saying he was expressing “private views”, while a spokesman for the minister said he was committed to supporting UK business.
In his unguarded comments at a reception for the Thatcherite Conservative Way Forward group, Dr Fox said Britain’s business attitudes have to adapt.
He said: “We’ve got to change the culture in our country. People have got to stop thinking about exporting as an opportunity and start thinking about it as a duty – companies who could be contributing to our national prosperity but choose not to because it might be too difficult or too time-consuming or because they can’t play golf on a Friday afternoon.”
At the drinks reception on Thursday night, reported by The Times, Dr Fox said: “This country is not the free-trading nation that it once was. We have become too lazy, and too fat on our successes in previous generations.
“What is the point of us reshaping global trade, what is the point of us going out and looking for new markets for the United Kingdom, if we don’t have the exporters to fill those markets?”
A Number 10 source said, “clearly he’s expressing private views”, and there were no proposals for any penalties for firms that do not export.
On protectionism, the source said: “The principle behind our approach is to ensure British businesses can succeed in the world.”
A spokesman for the Trade Secretary said: “Dr Fox is committed to supporting the full range of businesses in the UK so that they can best take advantage of the opportunities that Brexit presents.” Entrepreneur Richard Reed condemned Dr Fox’s “disgusting” comments and said Brexit would make exporting more difficult. Shadow minister without portfolio Jonathan Ashworth said: “These are offensive and crass comments from the disgraced Liam Fox. Every MP knows of hard-working businesses in their constituency who are struggling at the moment. None of them are lazy or more interested in golf. “You’d hope that his enforced break from office would have afforded him some humility, but it seems not. He should apologise immediately for insu l t ing Britain’s businessmen and wom en whose work in the national interest could teach him a thing or two.”