In Business Stripped Bare, I have written a chapter which tells you about Virgin's recent adventures in the territory where business and politics meet, and asked a few questions about where the forces of entrepreneurism might be headed in the next ten to a hundred years. I don't think for an instant that big businesses would make good governments. I know for sure and from personal experience that governments don't make great businesses! But somehow we need to close the circle. We need government and business to work together for the benefit of everyone. At the moment, in some parts of the world, there is no stability, no infrastructure, no 'business as usual', and bribery is the usual way of doing business or getting things done. It's not good enough, and we can do better.

I believe that today's businesses – regardless of their size – must be prepared to do good in societies around the globe. I am cautiously optimistic that we can make the world a far better, safer and more equitable place – but business and enterprise must sit at the heart of this process.