Matt Thomas

Entrepreneur | Startups, growth and marketing. LFG.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

You can learn so much about the current state of the UK from this.

[Liz Kendall @leicesterliz]

Barnsley: the UK’s first Tech Town.

This Government is making technology work for all, to build a better future for all.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@riversorare Superb gaslighting from him there.

[Joe Reeve - 🇬🇧/acc @isnit0]

The narrative that Gen Z sponge of the hard work that Boomers put in is wrong.

Reality shows that Boomers sponged off the Silent Generation, then sold the Crown Jewels, then racked up another bill, then passed the bill to Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

Excellent article @isnit0. Agreed that change feels impossible, and it's the main reason I'll likely take my family out of the UK permanently.

It's so frustrating that their mass organised resistance to anything favouring younger generations is built on a unifying belief that character and unadulterated hard work, is the sole reason for their (financial) success. I also think the reasons for that resistance, and why we feel trapped is twofold;

Firstly boomers have bought themselves the luxury of being able to resist and self-advocate with such strength because they're the only ones who've had absolute security in their financial future. Since graduation, my generation has been paddling furiously just to not drown rather than attend local council sessions and organise on Facebook.

Secondly, the major political dividing lines of the day; net zero and immigration were created by decisions made before anyone under 40 had any say in the matters. The consequences of these decisions, fall squarely on the young to solve, yet we're so fractured and unable to align on them like the boomers have and continue to do with property and pensions.

The ray of light (I think?) is that the gravy train has so obviously run out of of steam that the old political parties are dying in favour of parties like Restore Britain and the Greens, that agree the game is rigged and are happy to flip the table.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@AutoPap 37 so I'm not sure if I count as young, but I'd certainly not be spending my own money on one of these. Company car? Maybe, but I wouldn't be excited seeing it on my driveway.

[Dr Lawrence Newport @lawrencenewport]

I mean. It's something. But it also just goes to heart of the same problem we keep seeing in Britain. The government WANTS a good headline, so they do the technically minimal amount to get that headline.

In this case, that's committing £40M - in an area where hundreds of billions in investment is becoming the norm.

Regardless of if you think this is a good policy or bad, its just not really serious.

[Adam Wren @aswren]

This isn’t luck. All of these are policy choices that they voted for. Ladders that they kicked away after climbing. If you point this out though they start foaming at the mouth, they *have* to believe the universe just conspired in their favour

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

Smart move Nigel. Forcing more young people to stay in/move into overpriced, small city housing, and spend more time in the office, increasing commuting and childcare demands at a time of spiralling cost of living, is a sure-fire way to solve our birth rate timebomb.

[Nigel Farage MP @Nigel_Farage]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

People are not more productive working from home.

It’s all a load of nonsense.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

Because the generational compact has been broken. Why stay for a bleak future imposed on them by successive governments and boomers? It will take decades to fix the mess they'll inherit, and so naturally they'll nope out.

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

Why are young people leaving to work abroad? https://t.co/mjWdMHpzTK

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@riversorare This is already happening in a generational sense. There's a huge apathy towards boomers, seen as those who benefitted the most from the generational compact and then broke it for those that followed.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

Please, kill the terrible 'exit tax' idea. Our startup ecosystem needs help not hindrance.

[Rachel Reeves @RachelReevesMP]

We had the fastest-growing economy in the G7 in the first half of the year, but there's more to do to build an economy that works for working people.

At the Budget I'll take the fair choices to cut waiting lists, cut national debt and cut the cost of living.

[Dan Gray @credistick]

The ideal outcome is that founders incorporate, raise, hire, build, pay tax and ultimately list in the UK.

The second best outcome is that they have a Delaware topco and ultimately list in the US, but everything between is in the UK.

An exit tax is just going to push founders to move elsewhere as soon as they can. It’s a terrible idea which further limits potential.

Instead of managed decline, the UK needs to reorient towards a growth environment:

- Let BBB funds invest outside of the UK
- Shift GLP activity to early stage EMs
- Improve EMI incentives
- Remove S/EIS for funds
- Improve S/EIS for angels (remove long stop requirements)
- Full expensing for capital investments
- Remove SBRR cliffs
- etc

Incentivise growth at the base, use the US to support growth while UK capital catches up, and build a more attractive exit market.

More on much of this in @andrewjb_’s excellent article:

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@riversorare Yep. We need to get off this ride. Sadly a lot of our current problems have been exacerbated by a headline chasing, short-term mindset, instead of dealing with big deep-rooted issues.

[Looking for Growth @lfg_uk]

"Right across government, our failed system has rewarded those who take and punished those who make."
@LabourGrowth co-chair Chris Curtis MP at LFG: Make or Break 🚀

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@33JustBrowsing @paullewismoney @markhendy Socialists seem to do this when their worldview is logically countered.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@HarryStebbings @an0n_Nic Please do. Would be catalytic.

[Looking for Growth @lfg_uk]

"Britain created the modern world.

"This country gave us so much of what not only we, but the world, values today."

@matthewclifford reminds us that Britain has an exceptional history - so we can have an exceptional future. 🚀🇬🇧🚀

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@s8mb True words. We've absolutely been resting on our laurels as a developed county, smug that we have achieved what we needed to. Like a company that finds product market fit and then stops iterating thinking the game is static.

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

* straitjacket 🙄

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

Last night's Make or Break by @lfg_uk was a breath of fresh air. Hearing from people that see and feel what I do, that the UK is dysfunctional and declining and yet still has the potential to lead the world 1/5

[Matt Thomas @MattThomas88]

@matthewclifford @Dominic2306 @lfg_uk We can break the straightjacket forced on the UK by decades of bad leaders, shameless lawyers and lazy bureaucrats - all with their head in the trough. If you're looking for a way to fight back, follow @lfg_uk - "do ambitious things, or what's the point" as per @isnit0 5/5