Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the international purchase of assets. Capital from other countries gets invested by multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals into Britain, as they look to do business here. It's a vital element of any globalised economy. But the UK lags 16.6% behind its peers on this front! How can we rectify this, making Britain an internationally competitive place to do business and attracting FDI to this country?
The Rt. Hon. the Lord Harrington of Watford is a cross-bench life peer in the House of Lords. He was the Conservative MP for Watford from 2010–19. In March 2022 he was appointed Minister of State for Refugees, in charge of coordinating the UK's response to the refugee crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In November 2023, he published the Harrington Review of Direct Foreign Investment.
In this Enlightenment Evening, Lord Harrington gives us his unique take on how the UK can attract more FDI!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Start
00:20 - Harrington Review
03:00 - Instability
03:50 - Debates about FDI
05:17 - Planning Reform
06:27 - Visas
07:56 - Global Competition
08:50 - Harrington's Strategy
11:23 - Lost Investment
11:57 - End
Note: The opinions of our speakers do not always reflect the views of the ASI. Our events aim to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the international purchase of assets. Capital from other countries gets invested by multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals into Britain, as they look to do business here. It's a vital element of any globalised economy. But the UK lags 16.6% behind its peers on this front! How can we rectify this, making Britain an internationally competitive place to do business and attracting FDI to this country?
The Rt. Hon. the Lord Harrington of Watford is a cross-bench life peer in the House of Lords. He was the Conservative MP for Watford from 2010–19. In March 2022 he was appointed Minister of State for Refugees, in charge of coordinating the UK's response to the refugee crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In November 2023, he published the Harrington Review of Direct Foreign Investment.
In this Enlightenment Evening, Lord Harrington gives us his unique take on how the UK can attract more FDI!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Start
00:20 - Harrington Review
03:00 - Instability
03:50 - Debates about FDI
05:17 - Planning Reform
06:27 - Visas
07:56 - Global Competition
08:50 - Harrington's Strategy
11:23 - Lost Investment
11:57 - End
Note: The opinions of our speakers do not always reflect the views of the ASI. Our events aim to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas.
