Business leaders invited to David Davis’ mansion to lobby over Brexit - but WHO is going?
A HOST of British business leaders are heading for a sprawling 17th century country estate today, as the government seeks their advice on how best to navigate Brexit negotiations.
Business leaders are meeting David Davis for talk on Brexit deals
Those boasting a hot ticket for the talks with Brexit Secretary David Davis include top level executives from Lloyds of London, Barclays, HSBC, Tesco, BT Group and EasyJet.
Documents obtained by Bloomberg suggest representatives from Burberry, Centrica, Rolls Royce and Google have been dispatched for the private meeting.
The select group who received an invitation from the government to air their Brexit grievances will convene at Chevening, a mansion 35 miles (56 kilometres) south of London.
The building historically serves as the weekend retreat of Britain’s foreign secretary.
Inga Beale, chief executive officer of Lloyd's of London
On the agenda is what more the government can be doing to ensure the divorce of the century inflicts minimal cost on businesses and the broader economy.
British businesses have expressed an increasing desire to have a say in the outcome of Brexit negotiations, with many interpreting the Prime Minister’s poor show at last month’s election as a defeat of her strategy of prioritising control of immigration and law-making over their interests.
Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, will be in attendance today.
He said: “Business communities across the UK want the government to take a pragmatic and flexible approach to Brexit negotiations that puts the needs of the economy front and centre.”
Adam Marshall, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce
The day will begin with comments from Mr Davis and Business Secretary Greg Clark before a plenary session titled “Making a success of EU Exit”.
Guests will then discuss “understanding business impact under a range of possible negotiation outcomes” before a buffet lunch.
Andrew Bailey discusses impact of Brexit on financial services
The afternoon will be spent debating ways of “promoting business confidence” and “opportunities for global Britain” before Mr Davis delivers concluding remarks.
While Mr Davis has met with executives on numerous occasions, Theresa May’s government has been generally viewed as unfriendly towards businesses, mainly due to its adamant calls for a so-called hard Brexit and rhetorical criticism of “elites.”
Scott Colvin, head of public affairs at Finsbury, which represents a quarter of FTSE 100 companies, said: “There has been a pent-up demand from business leaders for dialogue, which the government is now wisely correcting.
“I work with several companies who have told me they are keen to be involved, and after a year in the wilderness business leaders are now hopeful of getting a fair hearing.”
CEO of Easy Jet Carolyn McCall
Viewing this meeting as a major opportunity, lobby groups are busy promoting their business-related wishlists for Brexit, which appear to focus on maintaining access to Britain’s biggest trading partner.
Lobbyists also want to ensure a suitable transitional period for when Britain leaves, along with protecting the flow of skilled foreign workers in the UK.
So just WHO made the cut?
1. Frank Bachmann, BMW
2. Inga Beale, Lloyds of London
3. Alison Brittain, Whitbread
4. Christopher Bellamy, Linklaters
5. Philip Bouverat, JCB
6. Edward Braham, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
7. Matt Brittin, Google UK
8. Anthony Clarke, Marshall Wace
9. Iain Conn, Centrica
10. James Cooper, Associated British Ports
11. Vincent de Rivaz, EDF Energy
12. Susanna Dinnage, Discovery
13. Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI
14. Douglas Flint, HSBC
15. David Lewi s, Tesco
16. Sinead Lynch, Shell UK
17. Eliza Manningham-Buller, Wellcome Trust
18. Adam Marshall, British Chamber of Commerce
19. Paul Marshall, Prosperity UK
20. Stephen Martin, Institute of Directors
21. Gerald Mason, Tate and Lyle
22. Carolyn McCall, eastJet
23. Martin McTague, Federation of Small Businesses
24. Helena Morrissey, L&G Investments
25. Nick Owen, Deloitte
26. Gavin Patterson, BT Group
27. John Pettigrew, National Grid
28. John Peace, Burberry and Midlands Engine
28. Venki Ramakrishnan, Royal Society
29. Jacqueline de Rojas, techUK
30. Eric Schulz, Rolls Royce
31. Terry Scuoler, EEF
32. Shanker Singham, Legatum Institute
33. Jes Staley, Barclays
34. Emma Walmsley, GSK