Charlie Mullins, the wealthiest plumber in the UK, is now entering politics.
Charlie Mullins criticizes the US company that acquired him in seller’s remorse
Charlie Mullins, the wealthiest plumber in the United Kingdom, believes he has the solution to London’s traffic problems: eliminate cycle lanes. They “lay empty and punish drivers,” he claims. According to the London-born founder of Pimlico Plumbers, cyclists “rarely operate major profitable enterprises” and as a result, they contribute only minimally to the creation of wealth in the City.
The car park of the tavern where he is presiding over matters is home to his own blue Bentley with customized license plates. It’s one of a few rants that are freely flowing in the West Sussex inn’s alcove, including another about the “nonsense” of working from home and the “shambles” of the present administration, which have shaken the businessman’s longstanding support for the Tories and halted his party contributions.
For Mullins, 69, Liz Truss’ resignation came as a relief after the policy U-turns on a mini-Budget that had first wowed him destroyed his aspirations of a Margaret Thatcher 2.0. As he puts it, “Lowering corporation tax created a significant incentive for business to invest, and reversing it demonstrated weakness and lost people’s faith.” Rishi Sunak as Chancellor and Sajid Javid as her successor will be warmly welcomed by him.
The sooner people leave the room when someone makes a mistake or is not the right person for the position, the better. The party must start supporting the new leader and sharing the same tea, though, no matter who it is. If they’re sincere, straightforward, and committed to their choices, they can turn things around.
Naturally, his approach is to speak honestly. Not that he would be interested in holding the position of power himself, citing the harm caused by Brexit and Boris’s misdeeds as being too difficult. Even though he is admittedly an improbable candidate to win the 2024 London mayoral race, his anger may soon be turned into direct action.
He has dabbled in politics before, most notably as a business adviser to David Cameron during the coalition years. He has a £210 million fortune and some strong ideas. However, he feels better equipped to pursue his goals only now, following the £145 million sale of his company to the US home services firm Neighborly in September.
He continues, sporting gleaming white teeth and a thick tan befitting a self-made millionaire who alternates between his £10 million Thames penthouse and property in Marbella, “If the Tories have a brain, they’ll sign me up [as a candidate], but I’ll probably run as an independent.”
I had considered running before, but I refrained because I knew that everyone would accuse me of enacting policies and ideas solely to advance my own business. I feel like I have more freedom now.
It’s difficult to think of Mullins holding back from anything he desires. He raises his pint in good spirits when he sees other drinkers. Wherever he goes, he claims, people recognize him. Happens anywhere throughout the world. Not many plumbers can make that claim.
With Mullins as a ready public face, the company that started as a one-man band in a basement in 1979 with a used van has been a triumph of brand strength.
The goal was always to increase professionalism in a field where workers frequently showed up “late with their a*** hanging out of their trousers.” In contrast, Pimlico’s employees drove branded vans and wore uniforms, and the company’s founder, who valued notoriety, made significant marketing investments.
According to Mullins, this led to a 9% share of the home plumbing industry in London and gave the company a level of exposure that is still unmatched by competitors “other than maybe Dyno-Rod.” When he sold up, the company was doing well, turning over a million pounds each week, helped by a high performance during the pandemic. He attributed this to an immediate response and a “no jab, no job” employment policy for any new hires.
He argues that the moment was appropriate to leave, but with an initial goal of a £100 million turnover, there may be a sense of unfinished business. “I will always regret not thinking nationally. We ruled London, but we could have accomplished so much more, he claims.
I estimate that it would have taken an additional five years to advance with that. We both agreed that it required new blood and ideas because I’ve been doing it all my life and my son has been working there for 30 years.
However, there is more than a touch of remorse on the seller’s part. Because it gave the best price, he chose Neighborly, a franchise expert owned by the US private equity group KKR.
However, he launches into a barrage of criticism, alleging that long-tenured employees are quitting. Would he go through it again? ‘I couldn’t exclude out a Pimlico Plumbers 2 — not with me, but if family members wanted to reenter the industry, I’d help them with a fresh setup,’ the speaker said. There is still a severe lack of skilled workers in the industry, but there are always those willing to pay for quality.
Mullins is supporting his fiancée Rachel Leavesley’s burgeoning music career.
Mullins is a fervent advocate for an apprenticeship. After dropping out of school at the age of 15, he found success in plumbing and became famous. He recalled recommending to David Cameron that the funds used to fund unemployment benefits be diverted to apprenticeships in order to increase the salary for trainees. In light of the current issue in employment skills, he thinks this is appropriate.
I was informed that it would be prohibitively expensive, but what about the cost of crime? People who stab people in the street do not commute to work. A child getting a job transforms everything.
If elected mayor, he would continue this mission and also give apprentices free transportation. He is currently combining business and pleasure, primarily in the entertainment industry. He has invested in Southampton-based Great British Radio, a brand-new commercial station. Additionally, he is supporting his fiancée Rachel Leavesley, commonly known as RaRa, in her musical endeavors. RaRa has performed as a Katy Perry tribute act.
He brags about his growing friendship with music billionaire Simon Cowell, whom he met while volunteering for charities and who was “nice enough to talk to us and give advice.”
He also has a lot of energy for the reality shows he signed up for, like Naked Millionaire. Although the details are somewhat vague, the imagination reels. Is he really going to make a naked TV appearance? Nothing is impossible in Charlie Mullins’ universe.
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