David Parkin meets a Parliamentary heavyweight and a stockbroking star

PERHAPS it was the glorious bright Spring morning. Perhaps it was the lure of a speaker who has been lauded as one of our great Parliamentary orators.

A capacity audience of 100 invited guests from the Yorkshire business community packed the offices of law firm Irwin Mitchell last Friday right in the heart of the Leeds Central constituency to hear from its MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, Hilary Benn.

They certainly weren’t there because of the attraction of the compere.

I got a very generous introduction from Irwin Mitchell’s John Flathers, a regular reader of this blog, who even commended it to the audience.

As I explained to the gathered throng, in recent weeks I have tackled such heavyweight and intellectual subjects as a night at the darts, the sitcom Rising Damp and a cultural destination in Leeds called the Purple Door.

So when it came to choosing someone to chair the Q&A session with Hilary Benn, there was really only one person to do it. But as I told the audience, they were busy so they got me.

There was no shortage of subjects to tackle and an hour and a half flew by.

I got the audience involved in the discussion early, something Hilary relished.

I told them that we could provide the equivalent of some light sparring for him as he limbered up for a clash with UKIP leader Nigel Farage on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions that evening.

Last year, Irwin Mitchell launched its UK Powerhouse report, an extensive business study produced in partnership with economic think tank, the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr), which provides a unique quarterly city-by-city forecast of economic strength.

It certainly provided plenty of food for thought and it really does take in a bigger picture than the one framed by the Government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’.

Whilst that helped shape our discussion, we also covered subjects such as the recent Budget, leadership and governance, devolution, education, inward investment and the impending European referendum.

It was on Europe where Hilary’s undoubted passion could be really seen and we got a glimpse of the soaring rhetoric with which he dazzled a spellbound House of Commons during his speech last December during the debate about air strikes against ISIL in Syria.

The speech opposed the position taken by his leader, Jeremy Corbyn, against the Government’s motion to commence air strikes.

His speech was described by veteran political observers as “one of the greatest in Parliamentary history”.

As well as Europe, Hilary Benn was keen to impress his views on regional devolution on the audience.

For Yorkshire’s economy to reach its full potential, a devolution deal for the Leeds City Region must be reached, he said.

Mr Benn said that the devolution deadlock between a Leeds City Region plan and an alternative ‘Greater Yorkshire’ model, is holding Leeds back from addressing issues which affect economic expansion including transport, skills, housing and access to broadband.

The MP said: “The so-called ‘Northern Powerhouse’ is really about the people of Leeds being able to make and take decisions that affect them.

“We remain a very centralised country in terms of decision-making and I am passionate about devolution and disappointed that despite the formation of the Leeds City Region, a deal has not been done yet in Yorkshire.

“Further devolution is absolutely crucial and without it here in Yorkshire, we will not be able to tackle the huge issues that exist in relation to transport infrastructure, skills and housing.”

Unlike in Greater Manchester, Sheffield City Region, the North East, Teesside, Liverpool and West Midlands, a devolution deal has not been signed off yet in Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire councils have been pressing for a Leeds City Region, however Conservative MPs in West Yorkshire along with North Yorkshire County Council and East Riding Council have been calling for a deal covering the whole of West, North and East Yorkshire.

Mr Benn added: “There are two competing visions but it needs to be sorted. I am supporting the City Region bid and the Government needs to get on and make a decision.”

He spoke with equal passion about why Britain needs to stay in the European Union. His speech was so powerfully in favour that I was able to say: “So you’re not sitting on the fence on that issue, then.”

Leeds Chamber of Commerce President Gerald Jennings said he was concerned that for some people the EU referendum will be all about immigration rather than other issues.

He said he’d had a long discussion with his barber the previous day but had failed to convince her to vote in favour of staying in the EU.

I said that despite their political differences, she had still given him a lovely haircut.

I wish I had need for her services.

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I’VE always been a great admirer of veteran stockbroker Keith Loudon.

The octogenarian senior partner at national firm Redmayne-Bentley has energy, enthusiasm and ideas in abundance.

He’s also got the blunt approach you might expect of a Yorkshireman.

Some of his phrases remind me of the writings of Alan Bennett.

So when Keith phoned to ask me to compere Redmayne-Bentley’s annual dinner I was pleased, but knew I wouldn’t be lavished with praise.

“We’ve got staff from 29 offices across the country coming to the dinner and most of them won’t be from round here, so you’ll need to explain who you are, because they won’t have a clue,” he instructed.

He once read this blog when I referred to a rather characterful tramp that plays a penny whistle in Leeds city centre.

“You are getting back on form. You deserve a silver penny whistle to be played at the other side of City Square,” he generously told me.

So there in the Royal Armouries last Saturday evening, were 260 good men and women of Redmayne-Bentley who had travelled from across the United Kingdom.

From Belfast to Billericay, Highland to Hitchin, Locksbottom to London, Perth to Southampton, they represented an historic firm started by Keith’s father, which has had many milestones over the decades, including the flotation of Wm Morrison Supermarkets back in the 1960s.

Keith pointed out poignantly that the first gathering of the firm’s staff was a trip taken in two taxis for tea in Ilkley.

There was a great atmosphere at the black tie dinner and I took the boss’ advice and explained to the gathered throng who I was.

I told them about my background as a business journalist and how, when launching TheBusinessDesk.com, we tried to be a bit different to many journalists by celebrating good news and having great respect for business people, entrepreneurs and firms like theirs making a success of things in the tough world of business.

Never one to miss an opportunity to mention my career highlight, I told them I had once interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I said to the audience that when people ask me what he was like, I say he was just like Keith Loudon, but a bit less scary, which went down well.

The firm gave out awards to five staff who have each spent 20 years with Redmayne-Bentley. The only one not there to collect it was Colin Adshead, assistant dealing manager in its Leeds dealing room.

He was running the London Marathon the following morning so a very entertaining film was played featuring Colin being presented with his award by managing partner David Loudon just as he was leaving the office to go on a training run.

He then dashed out around the city centre, calling into healthy destination including Wetherspoons and Greggs, accompanied by the Benny Hill theme as background music.

The evening ended with me introducing Keith Loudon (Redmayne-Bentley’s own Terminator) who gave very humble thanks to the audience.

They returned the compliment with a standing ovation and I left the Royal Armouries with warm memories and a spring in my step that comes from seeing a proud firm celebrating good people and a wonderful camaraderie.

You see, I’m really a softy after all.

Have a great weekend.