Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, and Stephen Welton, chief executive of the Business Growth Fund, discuss equity as an engine for growth

Rolet: In the last couple of decades, the UK has enjoyed strong growth and is now leading the rest of Europe, with 4.9 million of Europe’s 23 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the UK. It is a great place to be an entrepreneur.

Welton: So what do you think it is that fosters this level of entrepreneurship in the UK? Why are there more entrepreneurs here than elsewhere in Europe? Is…