I had the pleasure of attending the National Grid graduation day for their interns. Under their theme of “Employability” they give young people a better chance of a future job by good intern programmes. One of this year’s intake has been offered a job with National Grid, who are helping the others find jobs or College or work placements elsewhere. Contracting companies of National Grid are encouraged to participate in their Employability programme. The current special school partner is Addington.

I welcome this good scheme to give students a better chance of employment, by concentrating on their many abilities.

The volume of retail sales was up 0.9% in June. We now know that in the first year post the Brexit vote retail sales increased by 2.9% in volume, confounding pessimistic forecasts. The value of these sales rose by 5.7%, with petrol prices the most buoyant affecting the figures.

The single market was meant to promote good long term investment both ways across the Channel. The weakest type of business arrangement is an agreement to buy their exports. You can always switch to some other company and country to buy your next consignment. The strongest is founding businesses in other EU countries and growing them in situ.It is much more complex closing them down or selling up.

The French and Germans have been keen to exploit opportunities to invest in the UK and establish businesses. Just look at the way Aldi and Lidl have brought their business model to UK shoppers, and grown a large market share. Look at the way the French have exploited easy access for mergers to buy up large amounts of the UK utilities sectors. The UK does not have similar freedoms on the continent where nationalisation, government controls and directions impede similar investment.

In contrast, the UK’s largest food retailer, Tesco, has no shop at all in France or Germany (or for that matter in Italy or Spain). In general retailing, an area of UK strength, M and S set up a continental business only to close most of it down in 2001 claiming it was not profitable and had no future. M and S today has just a few shops in the Paris area, with nothing in Germany, the continent’s largest and richest market. Boots too has no stores in France or Germany.

Most UK multinationals have made far larger commitments to the USA and to Asia than they have to continental Europe. Some have found too many cultural and business model barriers to establishing in Europe. Most have found it easier and more worthwhile to establish in the USA. Perhaps the enthusiasts for the single market writing to this site could help us as to why this is true.

I had a meeting today with the new Franchise team for South West trains who take over in August 20th.

I stressed to them the need for improved punctuality and reliability in the service. They assured me they had a number of planned actions to raise service levels including staff rostering, and more reliable trains.

They told me the introduction of extra trains as promised to give us 4 trains an hour to London from Wokingham will not be before December 2018. They plan replacement and renewal of existing coaches.

I raised with them the desirability of bidding for digital signalling to allow more trains per hour to use the track. They said they were working on this possibility.

“Pound rallies strongly by 7% against the dollar as investors see positives in Brexit.” (Pound up to $1.30 from low of $1.20)

“UK economy grows 2% in year to end March 2017 as Brexit gives consumers a boost”

“Jobs bonanza in post referendum UK. UK reaches record levels of employment in the summer of 2017 after the vote”

“UK companies think main problem with Brexit is they may not be able to attract enough low cost labour from the continent to fuel their continuing expansion plans in UK”