Thanks to the Accounting & Management Society partnership with The New City Initiative, the team had the special opportunity to attend a debate between The RT Hon John Redwood MP and Mr Alastair Campbell with chairman Mr. Joshua Rozenberg.
The agenda: “Is the Government’s move away from Europe ‘too far and too fast’ for the City?”
The location: the beautiful Carlton House Terrace
With an audience full of Wall Street Journal type journalists, fund managers and some of our very own Westminster Business School finance professors.
From Left to right back row: Marwa Mohamed, Samira Dahir, Elizabeth Jones, Evelyn Anyiri, Lucinda Ly
While at times humorous you could sense the tension and polar opposite opinions. The debate raised interesting perspectives on the power balances between the United Kingdom and Europe with heated discussion on who wears the trousers in Britain’s stance following increasing support for the UK Independence Party.
Campbell opened the floor to a warm applause as he entertained the room with many of the eccentric contributions EU membership has presented. He presented a strategic perspective on the virtues of membership, with the EU serving as a supranational platform for the UK to help shape global politics in a world of expanding globalisation. Campbell drew a sympathietic view of the EU, as many decades of extensive collaboration to create more competitive international conditions. So withdrawing would weaken the British economy at a time when the light at the end of the tunnel to strong economic recovery remains a long way ahead.
Redwood drove a hard stance on whether the hype of leaving the EU would leave the UK powerless given much legislative power had already moved from sovereign control. Though provoking questions about the real winners and losers of a UK/EU divorce were thrown to the floor including whether the UK needed Europe for trade, or, whether the EU needed Britain to buy its products. Such answers, Redwood coolly asserted would define the ability for the UK to negotiate but leaving should always be a clear and present possibility not to be taken for granted.
Valuable contributions were abundant from the floor as fresh takes on the decades old debate deepened. A standout contribution was delivered by BlackBullion founder, Vivi Friedgut highlighting the need to simplify the political jargon to make European politics accessible for younger generations with rapturous ovation.
Written by Evelyn Anyiri & Na’Omi Canart
