News & Views

Representing the Lord Mayor, Alderman and Sheriff-Elect Hughes-Penney celebrates shared heritage, personal ties to Yorkshire, and the future impact of the Leeds Reforms on regional growth.

Brigantes Speech

Chairman, or do I say Chieftain, Deputy Lieutenant, Bishop, Brigantes, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of the guests may I say what a magnificent gathering this is, thank you and what a privilege it is to be here with you today at this spectacular venue on the coast of Yorkshire.

I bring you warm greetings from the City of London and from the Lord Mayor, who asked me to convey his particular appreciation for this gathering, and the vital role the Brigantes play in connecting our great City with the North of England.

As we know, during his Growth Unleashed initiative he has been encouraging us to "get out there, bang on doors, jump on planes" and to do "large amounts of business with dynamic, growing markets"… and although we jumped on a train rather than a plane, it's great to be back in God’s own county.

I am delighted to join this wonderful assembly – promoting our fellowship, whether through residence, business, birth right, family and friends.

In that spirit, may I share some brief reflections on the enduring bonds between the City and the North.

As I stand before you as Sheriff-elect, preparing to take up the ancient office in September, I am reminded of the extraordinary reach and enduring strength of the Livery movement.

Here we are, hundreds of miles from Guildhall, yet the bonds that unite us as Liverymen transcend geography.

The spirit of fellowship, community and service that defines our great Companies travels with us wherever we gather.

Yorkshire holds special meaning for both Elspeth and myself. I spent two years as a teenager at Leeds Grammar School and it was always a treat to visit the seaside in Scarborough in the school holidays. And the regiment I was commissioned into, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (QMO) recruited from Yorkshire and we had our Regimental HQ by Cliffords Tower in York.

And speaking of York, Elspeth was born in York, spending the first eighteen years of her life in Yorkshire.

It's also particularly fitting that we gather in Yorkshire today when Leeds itself has been thrust into the spotlight of national financial policy – with the Government's new "Leeds Reforms" recognising the vital importance of the North in our nation's financial future.

These reforms, announced just last week alongside the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, include vital regulatory reforms as outlined by the Chancellor, helping to boost investment and innovation.

The Chancellor's plans for pensions reforms, including the creation of Defined Contribution and Local Government Pension Scheme megafunds, will mean larger and more powerful pots of funding invested productively across the country – benefiting regions like Yorkshire and strengthening the vital connections between the City and the North.

As I prepare for my shrievalty year, one of my key priorities will be strengthening these vital connections between the City and the regions.

My role as Sheriff will be fundamentally about service – service to the Lord Mayor, to the City, and to the community of which we are all part.

But it will also be about being a bridge – between the ancient and the modern, between London and the regions, between the UK and the rest of the world, between the traditions we cherish and the future we are building together.

The North of England has always been central to our nation's story.

From the wool trade that first brought prosperity to our medieval merchants, to the industrial revolution, to the modern financial services driving innovation today – the North remains vital to our economic life.

Thank you for your warm welcome, thank you for your continued service, and thank you for ensuring that the spirit of the City of London burns as brightly here in Yorkshire as it does in the Square Mile.

I wish you all a delightful remainder of your stay.

And may I invite you all to stand as I propose the toast to the Brigantes:

THE BRIGANTES ‘Root and branch, may the City of London Liverymen in the North flourish for ever’