What does the future hold for the UK and the European Union? What are the possible implications of Brexit, and what does it mean for business and the South West?

This special Business West Initiative event will feature a panel discussion between national and local experts from business, politics and economics as well as keynote speeches from leading business and political figures. Participants include: Stephen Booth (Open Europe), Graham Cole (former chairman of AgustaWestlands and author of the Cole Commission on Exports), Charles Grant (director of the Centre for European Reform), Paul Kahn (President of Airbus UK), Tim Congdon (economist and former independent advisor to the Treasury), Nick Pearce (director of the Institute for Policy Research and former head of the No 10 Policy Unit), Vicky Pryce (former joint head of the United Kingdom’s Government Economic Service) and Malcolm Rifkind (former Foreign Secretary).

17:30 Registration
18:15 Welcomes
18:35 Sir Malcolm Rifkind – former foreign secretary
18:55 Panel 1
19:30 Panel 2
20:00 Close

This event is open to all and you do not need to be a West of England Initiative Member to book your free ticket.

In association with/

Speakers

Graham Cole is the author of the Cole Comission on Experts. He is the former chairman of AgustaWestland, a position he was appointed to in 2011. He was president of the West of England Aerospace Forum for four years until 2013, and was regional chairman of the CBI South West until September 2014. He was appointed a CBE in 2004 for his contribution to Aerospace.

Tim Congdon is an economist and businessman. Between 1992 and 1997 he was a member of the Treasury Panel of Independent Forecasters, which advised the Chancellor of the Exchequer on economic policy. He founded Lombard Street Research in 1989 and was its Managing Director from 1989 to 2001 and its Chief Economist from 2001 to 2005. He is a professor of economics at the University of Buckingham. He was awarded the CBE for services to economic debate in 1997. He has been a member of the UK Independence Party since 2007. He was runner-up in the 2010 UKIP leadership election and UKIP economics spokesman 2010 – 14.

Charles Grant helped found the Centre for European Reform in 1996 and became its first director in 1998. He works on, among other subjects, EU foreign and defence policy, Russia, China, the euro and global governance. He was a director and trustee of the British Council from 2002 to 2008 and is a vice chairman of Business for New Europe. He is a regular contributor to the Financial Times, the International New York Times and many other publications.

Paul Kahn is President of Airbus Group UK. He is responsible for providing leadership, oversight and co-ordination of Airbus Group’s activities and strategy in the UK. He was appointed a UK Business Ambassador by the Prime Minister in November 2015 and became President of ADS (the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space trade body) in January 2016. Before joining Airbus Group, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Thales, Canada.

Nick Pearce is director of the Institute for Policy Research. He was formerly director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, and he co-edits the IPPR journal Juncture. He has also been head of the No. 10 Downing St. Policy Unit, with responsibility for the formulation of policy advice for the Prime Minister, and has worked as special advisor in the Home Office, Cabinet Office and former Deparmetn for Education and Employment.

Vicky Pryce has acted as Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting (2010-2013), Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills(2002-2010) and Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service. Before that she was Partner at London Economics and Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG after holding senior economic positions in banking and the oil sector. She has held a number of academic posts and has served on the Council of the Royal Economic Society. She is founder of GoodCorporation, a company set up to promote corporate social responsibility, and is the author of a number of books.

Malcolm Rifkind is a former Foreign Secretary (1995-1997) and Secretary of State for Defence (1992-1995). From July 2010 – March 2015 he chaired parliament’s intelligence and security committee.