IF WE WORK TOGETHER WE CAN TURN THIS THING AROUND...
economy. “The problem with being the greenest country in the world is you drive chemical production to other countries where environmental standards are nothing like the same level as the UK,” he says.
“What you’re doing is deteriorating the planet, not improving it, but it’s good for your political agenda.”
He fears many MPS and campaigners are prejudiced against the chemical industry. “It gets a lot of flak over global warming and plastics. But if you look at Ineos, we’re producing all the chemicals for drugs, for all the testing kits. We’re producing the plastics going in to medical equipment – the face masks, ventilators, sterile gloves, eye visors, it goes on and on...” Sir
Jim, who was born in Failsworth, Lancs, and grew up in a council house, built his global empire by buying up and turning around unwanted energy and chemical companies. While in lockdown at home, the tycoon conducts business with conference calls and a cuttingedge computer system. “I’m as busy as I’ve ever been but just using a different route,” he says.
In his spare time he can reflect that the UK is no longer a world leader in the industry he loves.
“There hasn’t been a new chemical plant built in the UK for 30 years,” he says. “If you look at America they’ve just spent £165billion on new plants – their emissions are a fraction of European ones.”