I agree with Tom Watson that the honours system primarily exists to acknowledge notable achievements, in industry among other fields (Opinion, theguardian.com, 6 August). For more than 30 years I have kept many hundreds of well-paid engineering jobs alive in my factories in Sheffield, Leeds and County Durham. I have invested tens of millions of pounds of my own money in modernising them.As the UK’s industrial decline evaporated my domestic customer base, I developed new products and markets, most notably in continental Europe. I fought off a hostile bid to protect my employees and my life’s work. The bidder subsequently went bust. Had I not done these things, not only would my factories be wastelands, but vital manufacturing skills and strategic capabilities would also have been permanently lost. Even as I write, having just completed a £5m investment programme at my Leeds plant, I am pouring further millions into my Sheffield factory to enable it to cope with the oil, China and now “Brexit” downturns.
I am no one’s “crony” and belong to no “set”, whether Chipping Norton, Westminster or other. But I am proud to have supported David Cameron’s efforts to persuade the electorate to remain in the EU. I did this because I believed it was in the best interests of the UK, and that the former prime minister was the best person to present the case. Now I must address the new challenges generated by the vote to leave. My European customers are perplexed by the result and I have to reassure them that Britain in general and my company in particular are still open for business.
Andrew Cook
Chairman, William Cook Holdings Ltd
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