Until last week, the town of Basildon, in Essex, was probably best know for being the home of “Essex man”, working class voters who backed Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, and for spawning Depeche Mode, a flamboyant 1980s pop group. Now it is proving an important centre for the trading and technology industry.

Last week NYSE Euronext opened its European data centre in the town, a move the transatlantic exchange group claims will make it one of the fastest and most tech-savvy equity markets.