Boris Johnson faces a growing Tory rebellion over the new Internal Markets bill. Meanwhile, Berwin Industrial Polymers’ managing director expands on his company’s pursuit of maintaining a leading marketplace position through adaption and implementation of key practices.
Leadership in Focus
In 2016 Berwin Industrial Polymers, with over sixty years of experience in leading technological development of rubber compounds, joined the HEXPOL group. Managing director of Berwin Industrial Polymers, Gareth Jefferson (pictured), explains the company’s improvements in rubber production efficiency that were achieved through capital investment, improved working practices and personnel training. As a result, the company has maintained its position as marketplace leaders.
Writing in the Parliamentary Review in 2019, Mr. Jefferson said:
‘Over the last two years, we have achieved a ten per cent efficiency improvement and a 25 per cent increase in productivity.’
Such efficiency has been achieved in line with HEXPOL’s focus on results and dynamic organisation. More specifically, the managing director said that their goal was to reduce ‘dead time’ on machines through newly automated processes and IT monitoring systems.
Mr Jefferson said: ‘As well as investing in equipment, we’ve also worked with our teams to ensure that we are all focused on zero-defects production and address any skill gaps. We have standardised our working practices to help eliminate human error’
Berwin Industrial Polymers see Brexit as an opportunity for growth, with around 70 per cent of their sales coming from the UK market and 30 per cent deriving from export. They believe Brexit will incentivise UK manufacturing to become market leaders. Environmentally, the company have also committed to being 100 per cent renewable energy sourced over the next five years.
The managing director writes in regard to the future: ‘To remain competitive, we need to be able to adapt as market demands change, developing new materials and working in an efficient way.’
With Covid-19 causing significant upheaval in pretty much every single sector of the economy, Mr Jefferson’s words are now more relevant than ever.
Leadership Today
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson sees a growing Tory revolt as senior figure, former Tory chancellor Sajid Javid, says he cannot support his new legislation. The rebellion relates to the Prime Minister’s Internal Markets Bill that will afford the Government power to go back on parts of the Withdrawal agreement, thus potentially breaking international law.
Mr. Javid joins 18 Tory MPs who publicly oppose the legislation. Former national leaders have also expressed grave concerns, with David Cameron becoming the fifth former PM to criticise Mr. Johnson’s actions. Lord Hague wrote about his own concerns in The Telegraph stating that International law is “not some abstract concept”.
The bill has moved onto its next stage in Parliament however more revolts seem imminent. Proposed amendments are expected from rebels which would allow the House of Commons the ultimate decision over whether the Withdrawal Agreement can be broken.
In other news, the BBC director-general Tim Davie wishes to instigate a cull of senior management within the corporation as the annual report revealed 100 executives who earn in excess of £150,000 a year.
Criticism arose for Lord Hall, the former director-general of the BBC, as he promised to reduce the headcount of employees between 2018-19 yet instead hired an additional 1,021 staff all in public service roles.
Leadership in History
On this day in 1821 the Act of Independence of Central America was declared. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declared their independence from the colonial Spanish Empire.
