Singapore on Thames is the economic model that many MPs and supporters of Brexit see as the future of the UK. By this they mean a very wealthy country, with very low income tax, low corporation tax and no inheritance tax. Also Singapore is very pro business and sitting at the crossroads of Asia is the world’s second busiest port, shipping and re-shipping around the region and the world. The fact that the UK has just introduced numerous barriers to trade in its own region doesn’t seem to worry such supporters but maybe some other facts might.
For a start if you want to be like Singapore you’d better start nationalising things quickly, Singapore’s government and its sovereign wealth funds hold shares in huge swathes of the economy, among which are telecommunications, media, public transportation, defence, ports, banking, shipping, airlines, infrastructure and real estate. Many of those shares are held by its two sovereign wealth funds which are independent from Government, in the sense that the Prime Minister and his wife sit on their boards.
The Government owns 90% of Singapore’s land and 80% of all housing and although income taxes are low, a maximum of 22%; there is also a compulsory savings rate of 20% (invested with the Government) that pays for your pension and health insurance. Singapore also has a high level of income inequality, is a tax haven and imports 99% of its food.
But maybe the supporters of Singapore on Thames don’t mean those bits.
https://jonty.substack.com/
Singapore on Thames Lol? The UK version should be "London Trading Hub". The docks at "London Felixstowe are part of the Chinese group Hutchinson Port holdings and listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. From here goods can get too and from London to the South A12 and with the rebuilt A14 to the Midlands and the North (A1 or M1) . Felixstowe docks needs a serious expansion and arguably a second back up port "London Southampton" M3 and M25 should London Felixstowe be out of action. This London Felixstowe port has to be big enough to compete with Rotterdam and probably be bigger than it is currently. Whilst some of the City of London has moved to Paris and Frankfurt hopefully there is still enough of the City of London left to still compete on the World stage.
London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted would handle global air passengers and air cargo.