Following the Easter Recess, May was another successful month for the IPT Fellowship Programme, with 16 individual Fellowship activities taking place. This month saw two of our cross-party group visits take place with visits to both IKEA and Meta. We take this time to look over what happened during May and thank everyone involved in the programme.  

We began on 2 May with two visits taking place, the first with Baroness Berridge to Budweiser. This visit focused in on water usage and efficiency, with a site tour illustrating water usage in the brewing process and the steps they are taking to increase efficiency. The British Beer and Pub Association, who were also present, gave the Baroness an overview of the sector in relation to water usage and the steps being taking to increase efficiency. The second visit, saw Lord Young of Old Windsor go to McLaren at their HQ in Woking. His visit focused in on British Brands, exports, and soft power, with McLaren giving their perspectives on these topics. A site tour showed their high-end manufacturing operation and the work they are doing increase their recognition as a British Brand.

On Thursday 8 May, Wera Hobhouse MP visited Pernod Ricard’s iconic Beefeater Gin Distillery in London. Through a site tour, she got to see the different stages and processes involved in gin distilling. A roundtable then focused in on the history of the brand, the importance of trade and exports to their industry and the work they are doing on DRS and EPR. The visit rounded off with a bit of tasting! 

The same day, Baroness Sheehan concluded her IPT Fellowship in Renewable Energy and the Oil and Gas Transition, with back-to-back briefings from Exolum and Phillips66. Both organisations gave their perspectives on the oil and gas transition and the work they are doing to decarbonise and reach Net Zero targets.  

On Thursday 8 May, Lord Ranger met with representatives from Open Banking to discuss the impact of emerging technologies in the Financial Services sector. Open banking is a secure, regulated way to move, manage, and make more of your money - enabling everything from budgeting and saving to paying bills, donating, and accessing financial services. This visit officially concluded Lord Ranger’s Fellowship in Digital Currency and New Technology.

Then, on 12 May, Richard Holden MP continued his Fellowship with a visit to the London Stock Exchange Group to get their perspective on the UK Financial Services sector. Through a roundtable he got to better understand their work, the role they play within the sector and their future plans to continue to grow.

Our cross-party group visit to Meta saw four Parliamentarians currently undertaking an IPT Fellowship attend, these were Steve Race MP, Victoria Collins MP, Chris Webb MP, and Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge. This visit focused in on AI and the work Meta are doing in this space, how they are looking to develop and expand the applications of AI whilst recognising the threats and need to ensure its safety.

Then, on Monday 19 May, Lord Ranger continued his engagements with the IPT with a visit to HSBC’s offices in Canary Wharf. The discussion, led by HSBC’s Director of Payments Industry and Open Banking Director, focused on the evolving landscape of digital payments and how the bank is adapting to meet the changing demands of the industry.

A second visit for Richard Holden MP in May saw him go to QBE Insurance Europe Ltd in the City. He met with their CEO and discussed their work within the insurance industry, what is currently going on in the sector and their future plans. Visits such as this one has helped to give Richard a broad perspective on the role and work of Financial and Business Services in the UK.

On 22 May, Lord Young of Old Windsor also completed his second visit of the month with a roundtable discussion hosted by The Heart of London Business Alliance. Also in attendance were representatives from London and Partners, Royal Academy of Arts, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, J Floris Ltd, Fortnum and Mason, and New West End Company. The discussion focused on the following topics of the West End as a British ‘brand’ and a UK cultural and economic export, and the impact that the West End has on UK soft power and influence.

Then on 27 May, during the Whitsun Recess, Kirsteen Sullivan MP visited Scottish Power at their Black Law onshore windfarm in Scotland. During a site tour, Kirsteen got to see the full scale and potential of the site for renewable energy generation, seeing aspects of the site such as the control building and the parts store. The visit concluded with a discussion about the work of Scottish Power in the Energy sector and what they are doing to expand renewable energy production.

Finally, on Thursday 29 May Mike Reader MP continued his Fellowship with a visit to the Port of Southampton with Associated British Ports. Mike began the visit with a roundtable discussion to learn about ABP and their operations, followed by a tour of the port. He then visited a container terminal, where he gained insight into its day-to-day workings.

We would like to thank all the businesses and parliamentarians involved in May’s IPT Fellowship Programme for their support and hard work on these engagements. We look forward to continuing our engagement with parliamentarians on Fellowship programmes throughout 2025, furthering their understanding of business.