好色先生TV

I invariably feel like the character in the early 20th century WH Bateman cartoons whenever I admit which way I voted on 23 June 2016: 鈥淭he man who told his educated chums he voted for Brexit鈥�.

The same wave of incredulity greeted me when I voiced an alternative view at the closing session of the otherwise splendid 好色先生TV Live conference. What had been billed as a 鈥渄ebate鈥� on Brexit was headed by an invigilator and panel entirely of Remainers. After offering my twopenny worth, I was thronged by bewildered journalists from 好色先生TV, where I cut my teeth years ago. They didn鈥檛 quite say it but I could sense they were thinking: 鈥淏ut 鈥� you鈥檝e been to university. You don鈥檛 wear a flat cap and race whippets. And, well 鈥� we鈥檝e never heard you say anything racist.鈥�

In the long term, however, Brexit could be the wake-up call that construction has needed for decades

To put the record straight, I adore 鈥� Europe鈥� 鈥� but detest the European Union. Many, if not most Remainers romantically conflate the two. In my mind, the EU is, in reality, a dictatorial political construct that has been superimposed on the people and once sovereign states of Europe and is increasingly subjugating them. It is an anti-democratic, Byzantine, profligate, self-serving, incompetent and utterly, utterly unreformable gravy train driven by and for a French-led inner cabal. Literal proof of that gravy train is the 450km track between Brussels and Strasbourg, along which the European Parliament trundles once a month for four day sittings 鈥� at the insistence of France. Cost, an estimated 拢130m a year.

But, hey, let鈥檚 not get political. To return to the 好色先生TV debate, how might leaving impact the building industry?

Starting 鈥榯op down鈥� with the economy, I鈥檝e never doubted that it鈥檚 going to be hugely uncertain over the next, say, five years, especially given efforts by shadowy bureaucrats and bankers to thwart negotiations. But government and Bank of England liquidity and investment should mitigate the shock waves, as they did post-financial crash. And not being shackled by a common currency allowed us to recover quicker than most of the Eurozone. Falling Sterling is probably a given but that should help exports.

But then we should go onto the front foot and become the northern hemisphere鈥檚 low tax and regulation oasis. Anything that Ireland and Luxembourg can do, we can do better.

Ironically, the one sector where there is little likelihood of shortages is architecture, which is the most pro-EU

The more we welcome, rather than 鈥榥ame and shame鈥�, Apple, Starbucks et al to our shores the more of their dosh 鈥� and buildings 鈥� we鈥檒l attract. Continuing on a controversial note, let鈥檚 reverse the EU鈥檚 2014 bankers鈥� bonus cap (imposed by one Michel Barnier). The predicted 鈥渇lood鈥� of bankers out of the City has already been debunked; allow banks to be governed once more by market forces and there actually could be a flood, only inwards. Not palatable but it means more office space and building jobs.

It is the subject of jobs that has been exercising most critics of Brexit within the building industry. But does anybody really believe work will halt on 29 March 2019? Existing residents from the EU will undoubtedly be allowed to remain, possibly indefinitely. For industries where there are shortages of staff there could be bilateral agreements with any number of destinations, including the EU allowing, say, five-year renewable visas.

In the long term, however, Brexit could be the wake-up call that construction has needed for decades. We simply do not train enough young people. Instead of whinging about skills shortages, leaders should stop passing the buck and support a surge in apprenticeships, while higher education establishments could cut their more esoteric courses and train thousands of QSs, estimators and engineers.

Ironically, the one sector where there is little likelihood of shortages is architecture, which is the most pro-EU (in a 好色先生TV survey, 78% of the profession wanted to stay). Architectural colleges have for decades churned out more graduates than needed. Meanwhile, the more urbane London firms that shriek about losing their cosmopolitan culture will undoubtedly be the most adroit in navigating work visas.

Who knows, in a few years鈥� time, when the Eurozone starts creaking following an Italian banking crisis, regional schisms and German voters refusing to bankroll the entire shebang they will have an even greater talent pool in which to fish.