Policies for economic growth
1 April 2011
Lord Collins of Highbury (pictured), Lord Kestenbaum, Lord Popat, Lord Wood of Anfield and Baroness Worthington made their maiden speeches in the House of Lords on Thursday 31 March in a debate on the economy.
It was the second debate on the topic in as many weeks. Members of the Lords discussed the case for policies to support economic growth and to promote investment, innovation, technology, infrastructure, skills and job creation.
- Watch the debate: Economic growth
- Lords Hansard: read a transcript of the debate
- House of Lords Library Note (March 2011): Economic Growth
Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour) is former general secretary of the Labour Party. As assistant general secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union he helped form the merger with Amicus which created UNITE, one of the UK’s largest trade unions
- Biography: Lord Collins of Highbury
- Lords Hansard: Lord Collin's maiden speech
- Watch Lord Collin's maiden speech
Lord Kestenbaum (Labour) is chief executive of a financial services company and member of the Technology Strategy Board, the UK’s national innovation agency.
- Biography: Lord Kestenbaum
- Lords Hansard: Lord Kestenbaum's maiden speech
- Watch Lord Kestenbaum's maiden speech
Lord Popat (Conservative) is founder of the TLC Group which owns hotels and care homes across the UK
Lord Wood of Anfield (Labour), a fellow and tutor in politics at Oxford University. He is a strategic adviser to Ed Milliband, Leader of the Opposition, and formerly to Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.
- Biography: Lord Wood of Anfield
- Lords Hansard: Lord Wood's maiden speech
- Watch Lord Wood's maiden speech
Baroness Worthington (Labour) is Director of Sandbag Climate Campaign CIC, a not-for-profit community interest company and a member of the Guardian Sustainable Business Advisory Panel.
- Biography: Baroness Worthington
- Lords Hansard: Baroness Worthington's maiden speech
- Watch Baroness Worthington's maiden speech
Lord Hollick (Labour), who has held senior positions in the finance and media industries, opened the debate.
Other Members taking part included:
- Baroness Wheatcroft (Conservative), former editor of the Sunday Telegraph and Wall Street Journal Europe and non-executive director of Barclays plc
- Lord Bhattacharyya (Labour), chairman of the Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of Warwick University, which he founded to reinvigorate the UK manufacturing industry
- Lord Bilimoria (Crossbench), a businessman who founded the Cobra Beer company
- Lord Broers (Crossbench), former president of the Royal Academy of Engineering
- Baroness Greenfield (Crossbench), professor of pharmacology at Oxford University and former director of the Royal Institution
- Lord Higgins (Conservative), former Treasury minister
- Lord Layard (Labour), an economist and programme director at the Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics.
Lord Patel, Lord Flight, Lord Mitchell, Baroness Noakes, Lord Bates, Lord Newby, Baroness Prosser, Lord Ryder of Wensum, Lord Skidelsky, Lord Soley, Lord Stoneham of Droxford, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe, Lord Davies of Oldham and Baroness Coussins also took part in the debate.
Lord Sassoon responded on behalf of the government.
Further information
The term ‘maiden speech’ refers to the first time a new Member gives a speech in the House of the Lords. A maiden speech usually takes place during a general debate and is uncontroversial.