This week we were delighted to welcome Iain Wright MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, for the latest in our series of #LutherNetwork events.

Unsurprisingly, considering the events of this week, a large part of Iain’s opening remarks focused on the upcoming general election and the opportunities and threats facing the parties vying for seats in Westminster. Iain stated that this election will come down to two issues: the leader that people can see standing on the steps of Number 10, and the political party with the most economic competence and credibility.

The discussion went on to cover a broad range of topics from the future world of work and the role of automation in productivity, through to the importance of regulation in the energy market and barriers to entrepreneurship and upscaling in the UK workforce.

Guests at the event came from a range of backgrounds, including; technology, energy, corporate trade bodies, retail and the creative industries. They questioned Iain on his views on the barriers to SMEs to grow their businesses, the UK’s productivity and prosperity post-Brexit, further education and reskilling throughout life, the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on the workforce and the challenges facing the energy market. Much of the discussion centred on productivity and business growth, with many agreeing with the notion that there is a cultural aversion to risk in the UK that isn’t echoed in other countries around the world and much of this can be attributed to the fact that the cost of failure is much higher in the UK.

Discussion then moved on to the future of the UK post-Brexit, with a desire to see an industrial strategy that should focus on what we want the economy to look like rather than what we have to accept. In terms of the impact of Brexit on other policy areas, Iain concluded the discussion by saying that although Brexit will be undoubtedly the issue dominating the agenda and attention of the next Parliament, this shouldn’t stop the Government outlining its post-Brexit vision, articulating through an industrial strategy what sort of economy Britain will have in the next few decades.
Our thanks go to Iain and our guests for joining us.

The next #LutherNetwork event will be with John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator at the Independent, on the 23rd May.

If you would like to find out more about Luther Network events, including information on how to attend, please email events@luther.co.uk