EYE OPENER
On a list somewhere in Whitehall, quaffing orange juice and canapés
This winter I’ve been invited to a couple of Whitehall occasions. Firstly a BIS reception at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a fabulous venue dripping with the weight of Britain’s past colonial eminence. Lord Mandelson and Perm Sec, the charming Simon Fraser were in attendance. Apart from the excellent canapés, chatting with LM and other interesting attendees was as usual, fascinating. As always with these events, you can enjoy what’s not said as much as the formal speeches.
My second outing, in February, was the more mysterious invitation to attend the Better Regulation Executive’s Annual Review of Achievements at Lancaster House, another glory hole from Britain’s’ past. Sir Ronald Curry was in attendance, and as it happens he’s also Chairman of the NFU Insurance Group. We passed some pleasantries; I bottled asking him for a discount on my NFU equine insurance, but congratulated him on the NFU’s growing confidence as a national business!
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