Last year the chief executive of a large UK retailer, all of whose branches here are franchised, told me the secret of his company’s considerable success: of its hundreds of franchisees, not one is British born.
His remark saddened but did not shock me. Almost daily I see examples of how immigrants strive, while too many members of the native population lack energy and ambition. I have witnessed the stunning business advances of our Asian communities – thanks to diligence and resourcefulness. Most of them (or their parents) came to Britain with nothing.
When you think of the language and cultural barriers that any foreigner must overcome to do well here, it makes me ashamed of the sheer lack of effort put in by a lot of natives. My experience suggests that ethnic entrepreneurs in Britain have been responsible for a material proportion of the private sector’s economic growth and job creation in recent decades. Far from taking opportunities from locals, they provide them. Without them, we would all be poorer.