Lord Davies' Visit to Bristol

by Emma_Chappel on 21-Jan-10 16:38

Lord Davies of Abersoch, the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, visited Bristol’s Paintworks on Thursday 21st as part of a UK-wide series of roadshows to engage with Britain’s diverse industry sectors and find out how they would like to see UK Trade & Investment help them move forward.
Bristol and the South West had been chosen to represent the Creative Industries, giving the Minister a chance to fulfill a long-held ambition to visit Aardman Animations!

A delayed started (Aardman clearly warranted a long, detailed tour!) meant the 100 + representatives of private and public sector helped themselves to locally produced sausages and cheese whilst they mingled. The Minister then swept in to network, speak and answer questions from the floor. It was a slick event. From Lord Davies’ charm, enthusiasm and good humour, you wouldn’t have thought Britain was the last major economy to emerge from the worst recession in 70 years, nor that Labour was facing the prospect of an end to its 12-year reign in government.

The upbeat Minister for Trade spoke about his commitment to improving skills, innovation, access to finance and opportunities for women in business. He then took a seat alongside Sir John Sorrell (UK Trade & Investment’s Business Ambassador) to answer questions. It was all a most civilised affair, during which Lord Davies’ committed to forming a South West regional trade mission for the Creative Industries (we all wrote that one down!) and reiterated an earlier voiced concern about a lack of confidence holding British business back.

It was a positive afternoon, with lots of rhetoric about investing in skills, women, business confidence and sustainable growth. Due to time constraints, many questions went unanswered, but the Minister was keen to be accessible and approachable. ‘Email me personally,’ was his advice on all aspects of international trade. He reports direct to both David Miliband and Peter Mandelson, so if he can’t answer your question himself, you can bet he knows a man who can.

Tagged:Lord Davies, trade, UKTI

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