James B Watt MBE engagement report

Best tweets

• Jan 4, 2025100x their median

  I send both of my daughters to a state school. I went to a state school. I believe 100% in the state education system. However, Labour’s new tax on private school fees is nothing other than a bitter, vindictive and petty policy that results in everyone losing out. The policy will worsen the education of every child in the UK, regardless of what school they are in, and it will result in less tax overall in the government coffers. This is not just my view, but the view of the Independent Schools Council and their Chief Executive Julie Robinson who stated: ‘The negative effects of this unprecedented tax on education will be felt by families and children across state and independent schools.’ Adding that it is likely that the new policy will actually COST the treasury money. With the new policy: State Schools are going to lose out – experts predict an influx of 40,000 – 50,000 of additional pupils coming into an already stressed state school system. The treasury is going lose out – if someone sends their child to a private school the state saves around £10,000 per year and the person is already paying taxes for a service they don’t use. The UK is going to lose out – VAT on private education is against EU law. No other European Union country charges VAT on private education. This further reducing UK overall international competitiveness. Pupils are going to lose out – according to the Independent School Council the new policy will decrease the quality of education for children in both private and public schools. Just like with their catastrophic business policies Labour refuse to listen to any expert, such as the Independent Schools Council or the Confederation of British Industry and just bury their head in the sand. VAT on school fees is bad for children, bad for families, bad for the UK and according to experts will result in LESS tax revenue overall. Yet, Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s Education Secretary boasted about wearing the deluded new tax as ‘a badge of honour’. It is so sad to see what is currently happening to our country, to our economy and to our children’s futures. Please let me know your thoughts on the UK’s new tax on private education and how it may impact your family.

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• Feb 13, 202549x their median

  I’m sick of talking about how broken our government is. And I'm sure you're sick of hearing about it 😅. It’s time to actually do something. So, I am introducing Shadow Doge. You can think of it as the unofficial, underground cousin of America’s Department Of Government Efficiency. Here’s what we are going to do: - Using extensive Freedom of Information requests to public bodies to delve deeply into how carelessly our tax money is being spent. - Put an anonymous hotline in place for public sector workers to report waste (link in bio) - Publish a monthly report which shows all the ways we have found that the government could be more efficient with how they spend your hard-earned taxes. - Take an entrepreneurial approach to the public sector and highlight billions of pounds of potential savings. - Publish a league table of the worst offending public bodies when it comes to wasting our money. Labour inherited a mess—but Labour have made it worse: Hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs. Growth has tanked. Inflation is spiking. Our entrepreneurs are leaving in droves. Whilst today’s paltry growth numbers show the economy essentially flatlined for the last 6 months, the real story is that GDP per head dropped in Q4 2024 meaning that the standard of living dropped for everyone in the UK. As the government grapples with downgraded economic forecasts and higher borrowing costs, 0.1% growth in Q4 is not going to plug the serious gaps in our public finances. The government is facing 2 very difficult options: 1️⃣ Raise taxes→ which will further annihilate our economy and drive even more job creators out of the UK. 2️⃣ Cut spending→ which will make already failing public services even worse. Together with the business community, I want to show there is a better way. We want to show that if our government can become significantly more frugal with how it spends our money that will represent a far better solution than further increasing taxes which just leads to job losses and economic pain for everyone. The UK government will spend £1.276 trillion this year. If we save just 1%, we could fix our budget deficit. If we save 10%, we could build the strongest economy in the world. (A good place to start would be the £749 million the government blows on PR every year...) And by the way, this isn’t about party politics. I remain agnostic. 14 years of Conservative government left the country in a mess. Labour is making it worse. This is about fixing the system. I am open to work with any political party to help make our country better for everyone. The more badly spent tax money we can help identify and save, the more we can invest in the things that are most valuable to us – job creation, education, and our NHS. No more complaining. It's time to find a solution. Together we can save our country and help build a better future for everyone.

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• Aug 5, 202421x their median

  Early this morning, I lost my absolute hero and my forever rock as we said goodbye to my dad. My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer only 6 weeks ago and it was heartbreaking to see him decline so quickly. Only 8 weeks ago he was still catching lobsters on his boat The Serene BF 453. My dad meant the world to me, and we were incredibly close. After I started BrewDog, I could not afford to pay myself a wage for the first 4 years, so I moved into my dad’s spare room and lived there until I was 29 years old. I also spent 7 years working side by side with my dad on a North Atlantic trawler. I lost one of my closest friends Dan Bolton to pancreatic cancer only in January and we lost my grandfather who was also a lobster fisherman last June. 12 months ago, I could not have imagined my life without one of them, let alone what it would be like to lose 3 of them in such tragically quick succession. I miss them all greatly. Over the last 6 weeks I focussed on spending as much time as I could with my dad and slept with him at the hospice many times. We played scrabble, reminisced, cried, laughed and even enjoyed a few last gin & tonics together watching as we watched the summer sunsets. Thanks to the wonderful advice I received from so many people I was able to let me dad know exactly how much he meant to me – nothing was left unsaid. To all the wonderful staff who cared for my dad so well at Roxburghe House – thank you from myself and all of our family – you were truly amazing. Dad - thank you so much for everything. As devastated as I currently am I have nothing but gratitude and love for every moment we spent together, every adventure we went on and every challenge we helped each other through. You were always unconditionally there for me from the minute I was born and you being my father has been by far the greatest privilege and honour of my life so far. Dad, I love you ❤️

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• Mar 4, 20257.9x their median

  I’m not a politician. As much as I admire Elon Musk - I don’t care about taking sides for political gain. The only thing I care about is trying to make this amazing country a haven for UK businesses once again. Because the reality is: 📉 2024 saw the highest number of UK business closures on record—over 330,000 businesses shut down. 🏭 We lost 37 shops a day on the high street last year. 🔻 Job losses in retail alone hit 169,395. 🚨 And that was before the new National Insurance hike kicks in. Every business owner I know is saying the same thing: 2025 will be brutal. So, I’m using the skills I’ve built over the last 17 years scaling BrewDog from a two-man startup to a billion-dollar global brand to do something about it. That’s why I launched Corgi—the Coalition for Organisational Reform and Government Improvement. 🔎 We’re tracking down billions in wasted taxpayer money. 📊 We’re putting together politically neutral reports on exactly where government spending is broken. 🛠️ We’re using experts, not politicians, to propose cost-effective solutions. And here’s what’s happened already: ✅ 350+ experts have stepped up to help—public sector insiders, financial analysts, data scientists. ✅ We’re building a whistleblower network so people inside the system can finally speak out. ✅ Our first report is already in progress. Some people are calling this a "publicity stunt". Or that I have no business playing politics. Honestly? Let them call it whatever they want. Because if this “stunt” helps stop businesses from going under, stops people from losing their jobs, and stops billions of taxpayer money from being wasted— does it really matter what people call it? If we can help the UK become 10 or 15 per cent more efficient on how we spend the £1.27 trillion of taxes we deploy each year, then it makes a game-changing difference to the UK economy. I know business. I love helping businesses. It's what gets me out of bed every morning with a smile on my face. And I know how to build high-performance teams that cut inefficiencies. And I want to use that knowledge to help the UK economy recover - that's it. If you want to help, start here: https://t.co/iyLrh9wolS

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• Mar 13, 20247.0x their median

  Sweepstake! Guess the official opening date of BrewDog Durham & win a year's worth of free beer! 🍻 Simply leave the date which you think BrewDog Durham will open in the comments below & if you are correct, you will win the beery reward. (and see my previous post for context) https://t.co/wMJLDyPOwu

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• Apr 3, 20256.5x their median

  How much are entrepreneurs taxed in the UK? According to a recent independent research paper by the Tax Payer’s Alliance, it is over 85%. This is because when entrepreneurs earn, they often exceed numerous tax thresholds, save and invest their earnings, and ultimately pass them on to their family. As a result, the same money is taxed repeatedly before it is ever spent, leading to an exceptionally high marginal tax rate. The tax burden on entrepreneurs and their family because much higher when Labour reduced business relief from inheritance tax from 100% to 50%. The TPA research reveals just how brutally the system is stacked against those trying to build something and create jobs in the UK — and the numbers are staggering. If you’re an entrepreneur in the UK, you could end up paying up to 93% in taxes on what you build 😳. Which means: ➡️ If your business earns £100, your family could be left with as little as £10 after taxes. Here's where it all goes: 💰 Income Tax 💰 National Insurance 💰 Corporation Tax 💰 Capital Gains Tax 💰 Inheritance Tax 💰 VAT The TaxPayers' Alliance highlighted that: 🔺 Best-case scenario (with smart planning): 83.5% tax 🔺 Worst-case scenario: 93.1% tax That means after putting everything on the line — the long hours, the sleepless nights, the personal sacrifices — you and your family are left with barely 10p for every pound you generate. The TaxPayers' Alliance report lays out the devastating impact this is having on our economy: ➡️ New firms — responsible for most net new job creation — are disappearing at an alarming rate. ➡️ The number of UK businesses has dropped by 11% since 2020. ➡️ The fear of failure among entrepreneurs has risen by 60% in the past two decades. Meaning more and more would-be founders are being put off from even starting. The message is clear: Founders are giving up. And honestly — seeing the numbers it's hard to blame them when you’re expected to put your home, your savings, and your family’s future on the line — only to keep 10% of what you’ve built. If the UK wants to rebuild its economy, we need to create an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive. That means: ✅ Tax stability: Entrepreneurs need certainty. A long-term commitment to stable tax rates would encourage investment and risk-taking. ✅ Growth-focused reforms: Expanding business rates relief and improving capital gains incentives would give founders the breathing room they need to grow. ✅ A reduction in the overall tax burden: Entrepreneurs need to know that their efforts will be rewarded — not swallowed by endless taxes. We need to fix this. Massive credit to the @the_tpa for compiling such an important report — if you want to dig deeper, you can read the full report here: https://t.co/hRzo1pL39T

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• Jan 23, 20256.3x their median

  I’m about to do something no investor has done before... To celebrate yesterday's House of Unicorns launch, I am offering £10,000 investment to a business based purely on a pitch in the replies below. Just 200 words or less. Blow me away. 👇 P.S - The winning business will also be shortlisted to appear on House Of Unicorns so make it count 🦄.

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• Feb 21, 20255.6x their median

  I love this country. I built my business in this country. I’m raising my family in this country. But I refuse to stand by and watch this country fall apart... → Businesses are collapsing at record rates. The UK lost 37 shops a day in 2024. → Jobs are vanishing. 169,395 job losses in the retail sector alone during 2024. We haven't even had the new National Insurance rate kick in yet. I expect that number to increase, dramatically come April. → Our standard of living is plummeting. Real GDP per capita dropped significantly over the 2nd half of 2025 and continues to decline. And while this is happening, our government is burning through taxpayer money and consistently hiking taxes while delivering less and less in return. That's why last week, we launched Shadow Doge to highlight government waste. Today, it evolves into Corgi: The Coalition for Organisational Reform & Government Improvement. Here’s what we vow to do: ✅ Uncover billions in wasted taxpayer money. ✅ Publish reports exposing exactly where the system is broken. ✅ Work with ex-civil servants, data scientists, and AI engineers to propose real solutions. Already, over 200 amazing experts have volunteered to help—working for free—to hold the government accountable. I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who is helping! Nobody understands inefficiencies in the public sector better than the people working inside it. Corgi will amplify their voices and bring real solutions to light. I’ve spoken to CEOs, founders, and business leaders across the UK. They all say the same thing: 2025 will be brutal. - More layoffs. - More businesses shutting their doors. - More families struggling to keep up. I'm done just talking about this stuff; I want to take action. And if you're sick of watching this country sink— get involved. It's not a silver bullet, but it's a start. 👉 Follow @CorgiGlobal for more! ♻️ Please share to help amplify the message and impact.

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• Mar 14, 20255.6x their median

  Of course our economy shrank in January. This morning's headlines just confirm what has been blindingly obvious to all of those at the coal face of business and commerce for months. The fact they didn't see this coming raises yet another question of doubt on Rachel Reeves' ability to fix this situation. Unless something changes, things are about to get much worse when the National Insurance hike hits on the 6th of April. Business experts estimate that at least 300,000 people will lose their jobs next month when this tax increase takes its strangle hold on our already struggling business sector. On top of that: → Businesses are already collapsing at record rates. The UK lost 37 shops a day in 2024. → Jobs are already vanishing. 169,395 job losses in the retail sector alone during 2024. → Our standard of living is plummeting. Real GDP per capita dropped significantly over the 2nd half of 2025 and continues to decline rapidly. → Almost half of the entrepreneurs - the job creators of this country - I speak to are considering leaving the UK because it's no longer viable to build a business here. The Bank of England’s Report highlighted weaker activity, lower productivity, higher inflation and skyrocketing unemployment. My solution, and my ask of our government is incredibly simple: I am urgently calling on our leaders to reverse the devastating increase in NI before it is too late, before too many people lose their jobs and before irreparable damage is done to our economy and to our future as a nation. On the 6th of April, the NI increase is going to do so much more harm than good to the UK economy and will result in significantly lower tax revenue for the government overall: • The NI increase will damage the economy with negative growth, the government will get less tax overall. • With almost 20% of adults in the UK employed by the government, the government will actually be paying a huge amount of this additional tax themselves. • The unemployment benefits as well as all the additional costs to society of increased unemployment will dwarf any increase in tax revenue. • The UK will see significantly less investment over the next 24 months as businesses shrink down to save costs, further damaging our economy. Rachel Reeves & Keir Starmer – more than 300,000 people are set to lose their jobs unless you reverse your crazy tax hike – is this really something you want to have happen on your watch? January was yet another warning sign but it's not too late to fix it. Our country, and our people deserve significantly better.

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• Aug 20, 20244.5x their median

  This is the send-off we gave my father ⚓ After the funeral service we hosted a celebration of life at his favourite place: Gardenstown Harbour. His 2 boats slowly sailed into the harbour as we lit up the sky with fireworks to a bagpipe band playing Highland Cathedral. We also had amazing food-trucks, BrewDog beer, lots of baking & teas and coffee and we raised thousands for pancreatic cancer charities. In my head my father was completely bullet proof - I had always pictured him catching lobsters on The Serene with Jura by his side for decades to come. As a family, we all expected at least another 20 years with him. 20 years of joy, happiness, adventure, connection and love. But sadly, that will not be the case. The fact that his death has brought about so much heartache only serves testament to how loved he was. Although, at the moment, the pain for the family is almost unbearable, we should also be grateful to have had someone so remarkable in our lives and a son, brother, father and grandfather whom we loved so much and with whom we shared so many special moments. If you measure a life in years, at just a few months shy of his 70th birthday, my dad’s life falls short of reasonable expectations. However, if you measure his life in terms of positive impact, he had on those whom he deeply cared for then my father’s life exceeds any other life that I have been witness to. By far. From the minute I was born, I could not have wished for a better hero, a better friend or a better dad. Goodbye Dad. I love you. ❤️

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