The Chairman of JCB has declared that business in Britain is in a "real mess", as his company attempts to secure a new world record.
Speaking to GB News Reporter Ben Leo at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, Lord Anthony Bamford said doing business in Britain could be "a hell of a lot better" in a veiled swipe at Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Lord Bamford and Ben witnessed the British engineering giant's attempt to set the world land speed record with their hydrogen-powered car, hoping to reach speeds of more than 350mph.
Watching the car speeding by, Lord Bamford told GB News: "God, it is positively thrilling. My God, it's going quick, isn't it?!
"Definitely British engineering at its best, yes. And it is showing British engineering, particularly with hydrogen as a fuel, showing it's very, very possible.
"No emissions, zero emissions, and all it is is basically water, H2O. That's what powers that engine. Internal combustion engine - they're not old fashioned, that is cutting edge."
Noting the concerns around petrol and diesel engines and their impact on climate change, Lord Bamford argued that hydrogen-powered engines must be "looked at far more seriously".
He said: "British engineering can do this sort of thing, and this is on a world scale. If emissions are the real cause of global warming, this has zero emissions and should be looked at far more seriously than it has been."
Highlighting the scale of the JCB company, Ben asked Lord Bamford why he has stayed "loyal to Britain" despite his worldwide success.
He told GB News: "I was 29 when I took over, and this has been going 80 years. A family company, British, but we're all around the world.
"I live in Britain, I am English, but we're a world company. I've travelled the world, lived overseas, I lived in America for two years, and my children were all born in America while we were here."
Pressed on whether he believes Britain is "still a good place for business", Lord Bamford admitted there are pros and cons to the British economy.
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He said: "Yes and no. It could be a hell of a lot better, but that's a different subject.
"And I wouldn't try and be over political, but we are in a real mess.
"And it is not just socialists, it is the Conservatives. They didn't do so much in the 14 years that they were in power as well."
Reflecting on the world record attempt, Lord Bamford hopes JCB can hit speeds of 400mph to set a new record.
He said: "I have no idea what speed we hit. I know that one was 401mph or something like that, and it looked pretty damn fast to me there, very quick.
"And what they have to do, they have to average it out of the two to get hopefully over 400mph."
Telling Lord Bamford that the "future of JCB looks bright" after their attempt, Lord Bamford was quick to agree with Ben.
He concluded: "Our future is very bright and it's a bright yellow."
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