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October 29, 2026

‘There’s no magic money tree’: Alex Depledge on the Budget, startup lobbying and why she left the UK government

Departing entrepreneurship advisor takes aim at ‘whiny’ founders and the OBR’s economic policies


Martin Coulter

5 min read

UK entrepreneurship advisor Alexandra Depledge appears on stage at Summit

British startup founders must accept there is no “magic money tree” and stop expecting the government to solve all their problems, according to Alex Depledge, the departing entrepreneurship advisor to the UK treasury.

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Martin Coulter

Martin Coulter is Sifted's news editor, based in London. You can follow him on LinkedIn and X

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