Leader

摘要

It's difficult not to get angry with the government when you consider what is happening to businesses in this sector as a consequence of Carillion's collapse. Just last week Vaughan Engineering Services, a relatively small Northern Irish-based M&E contractor, signalled that an arm of its business in England and Scotland is on the brink of administration with the threat of 160 jobs being lost (see page 9). And they're not alone. Companies large and small are suffering in silence fearful of spooking their clients and suppliers and talking themselves into a hole. "This is devastating news for all of the people who work for Vaughan Engineering," finance director Gavin Vaughan said before explaining that he had asked the government, Scottish Enterprise, MPs and many different authorities for help before getting to this point. But help hasn't been forthcoming and the company is now where it is.