Entrepreneur slams No 10 wealth grab – despite getting taxpayer-backed loan
The founder of a hot tub and plunge pool business has said he understood why “the masses” were leaving Britain and was accelerating plans to do so himself, despite his firm recently receiving a taxpayer-funded loan to fuel its international expansion.
Rob Carlin, who runs Derbyshire-based spa company Superior Wellness, blamed a succession of punitive tax hikes on private education as being behind the closure of his son’s secondary school, saying it entering administration showed “the way the UK is going right now”.
Writing on Linkedin, the business owner also revealed he was “working on” accelerating plans to relocate abroad, even though Superior Wellness recently received a £2.3m loan from the government’s Export Finance service.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the government confirmed Superior Wellness had received the multi-million-pound loan from its credit service for British businesses, Export Finance, to help fund the hot tub brand’s expansion into the Middle East and United States.
In the announcement, Carlin hailed the credit injection as a “key milestone” on the firm’s “journey to become the world leader in wellness products”.
“We’re incredibly proud of the growth we’ve received – and even more excited for what’s ahead,” he added.
But the support, which was also funded by Natwest, didn’t stop Carlin launching a withering broadside on the government in a second Linkedin post announcing his inclusion as one of The Times’ top 50 ‘most ambitious’ business leaders.
His son’s school – Mount St Mary’s College, where fees for boarding can hit more than £12,000 per term – announced it was entering administration last week, blaming the government’s imposition of VAT on fees and decision to end business rates relief on private education.
And responding to the closures – and his Times gong – the founder wrote: “My son’s school has gone into administration after 183 years. I’ve seen first-hand how short-sighted tax policy is driving families, businesses, and wealth out of Britain.
“At Superior Wellness, we’ve worked hard to create jobs, export globally, and put Derbyshire on the map, but I cannot blame the masses who are now leaving the country.”
The firm did not respond when asked whether Carlin planned to relocate Superior Wellness abroad when he expatriates.
A spokesperson for the government told The Times: “This pro-business government is taking bold action to back British companies as part of the Plan for Change, introducing the toughest laws on late payments in the G7 through our brand-new Small Business Plan, as well as a long-term Industrial Strategy to give businesses the certainty they need to grow.
“Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30, helping us to fund vital public services including supporting children in the state sector.”