Over 400 business people, politicians and invited guests turned out for the IoD’s third annual debate, a five-hour marathon including dinner held at the Hotel de France.
The topic on the table was ‘Economic Growth – does government have a role?’ and on the panel were five business representatives – retired banker John Boothman, property specialist Simon Buckley, trust company managing director Julie Coward, e-commerce specialist Chris Evans and hotelier Jonathan Segal – and two politicians, Health Minister Stuart Syvret and Economic Development Minister Philip Ozouf.
Despite their disparate backgrounds – several panellists hold widely known differences of opinion – the resulting debate was an orderly exchange of views with few observable clashes, ably refereed by BBC presenter Sarah Montague, who with microphone in hand hunted down questioners and politicians among the dinner tables.
