What's Next For Sale, The Crown Jewels?
Do you ever have the thought that Britain's being slowly dismantled?
The wheels came off ages ago, and now it's been stripped of all other parts to the point where only the chassis remains, and being very old it may come as no surprise that even the rust is slowly eating its way through.
Let's take a look at what Britain actually owns nowadays. You know, that which we can call wholly British. Our train operators? No, for the most part, foreign investors such as Govia, an Australian bus company, a Canadian pension fund, and a French-owned railway company have their dibs in. Oh, and let's not forget MTR, a public transport company owned by the government of Hong Kong.
Not enough for you? Okay then, how about Arriva, owned by a company registered in the Cayman Islands? Or, First, mostly owned by institutional investors - global and UK-based asset management firms. Ever heard of Trenitalia? No, me neither.
However, this is an Italian (no surprise there as the clue is in the name) rail company that holds a stake in Avanti West Coast Services. Then, because far be it from me to omit the Japanese, they're into West Midlands trains and Greater Anglia.
Well, I guess on the plus side, at least we build our own trains thanks to a great British company called Alstom. That is until you see who owns Alstom and find its main shareholders are CDPQ Quebec and Bpifrance, with a little bit of Rothschild thrown in for good measure. Oh well, perhaps I had set my hopes a little too high in the first place. Still, undeterred as I am to find something that is actually wholly British I will move on.
Shall we do our great British bus operators next? Again Arriva is owned by a company registered in the Cayman Islands. First bus, UK and global asset management firms. Go Ahead - mostly owned by an Australian/Spanish consortium. National Express - US banks including JP Morgan and businessman Jorge Cosman (who?) What about Stagecoach? Well, as much as I hate to disappoint, that brilliant service covering our nation is mostly owned by the Deutsche Bank - who sounds foreign to me, do they to you?
Utilities. If you're with British Gas (Centrica) I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear shareholders such as Vanguard Mutual (American), and the increasingly influential and dodgy international government lender Blackrock have their hands in. Longer-term readers of 'The Almighty Gob' will have read about the antics of Blackrock previously. E-on, a German multinational. EDF - French-owned. OVO - owned by the Irish billionaire, Stephen Fitzpatrick. At least HE is British! However, my sincerest condolences to Scottish readers for your loss, because there ain't no such thing as Scottish Power.
Sadly, it's more a case of Spanish power given its Iberdrola ownership. Oh, and by the way, the Qatar Investment Authority also have their hand in.
What else forms part of our British infrastructure, I wonder? I know, water! Well, who'd have thought we don't own our water supplies? To save you from having to read through another long list of foreign entities, let's just agree that over 90% of English water companies are owned by international investors, and leave it there.
I have no wish to depress you further, but I will anyway. The Chinese own Rover, the Germans Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and the Americans Aston Martin. Jaguar and Land Rover, the Indians. What was once that great British institution of fish and chips aka Harry Ramsden's and our Moto service stations, Australian and Swiss investors. Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, a Spanish construction group. Dubai-based companies took over Madam Tussauds and ferry company P&O. French cosmetic group L'Oreal, the Body Shop. One Australian-born American named Murdoch, the Times and three other newspapers. A Saudi Prince owns the Savoy in London. Americans own a host of food brands including Weetabix, HP Sauce, and Walkers crisps. The French own Teachers whisky and Beefeater gin. Nod to the Independent for providing those details, by the way. Oh, and as an afterthought, we no longer own OXO either, as that's over the pond owned too.
As is another legendary brand Typhoo. For those who enjoy that morning cuppa still, thank the Indians for buying that brand, and while the morning brew has now been taken care of let's now forget the evening beverage of Bass ale - now Belgian. Now, before we all head to our phones and crash the Samaritan phone lines in respect of sheer call volume, it would be wholly remiss of me not to include one final mention, that of British football clubs.
Again, I won't bother listing one and all. Instead, I'll just say of the twenty teams that began the 2023-24 campaign, fifteen have majority owners from outside the UK.
I'm sure, with far more time on my hands and a life that isn't confined solely to a keyboard the list would go on, and on, and on. So, for now, at least, I will leave you with the more positive thought about the Crown Jewels still being in British ownership. Mind you, for the right price............?