Home
Business Alliance
The Patron
Sir
Irvine Patnick, OBE
"I
am proud to be Patron of the Home Business Alliance.
In my view the future of the UK business community
depends on its spread and growth at the grass
roots level. I became Patron of the Home Business
Alliance because I could see that it gives a
real helping hand to business people at the
grass roots, to help them start up and grow.
Furthermore, I see the Home Business Alliance's
help as being unique because, unlike government
agencies or theorists or training courses, it
comes from practising business men and women.
I wish the Home Business Alliance had been around
when I started up!"
Sir
Irvine Patnick became his own boss at an early
age in 1958 when he set up a home-based business
as a building contractor.
A
battle over planning permission eventually led
him to seek election with Sheffield City Council.
He went on to become Opposition Leader on
South Yorkshire County Council.
One
day he injured his back on a building site and
the consultants advised a new occupation. He
then joined a textile company, became a director
and was elected to Parliament.
Sir
Irvine was a Member of Parliament for over ten
years and was a Government Minister.
He served in the Whip's office where he became
a Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury,
which is a senior Government Whip. He
was Deputy Chairman of the Channel Tunnel
Rail Link Select Committee.
He
has considerable, detailed and expert knowledge
of the workings of local Government, government
departments and decision-making in Parliament
and Whitehall. Sir Irvine is a Freeman of
the City of London.
He
is also well known and respected throughout
Parliament, local government and the business
community, especially in the North of England.
Sir
Irvine writes regularly for the Home Business Alliance members'
journal, The BOSS.