Fireside Talk: The State of the Nation with Sir Jeremy Hunt & Bim Afolami

Lessons from the Cabinet with Sir Jeremy Hunt, former Chancellor, Foreign, Culture and Health Secretary & Bim Afolami former City Minister. Join us at Gorhambury to gain an insider's view of British politics at the highest level. Bim, as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, was a deputy to Sir Jeremy when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2022-2024. The two former ministers will give insights to the pressures of life in politics, why are we seeing a polarisation and a dip in the quality of candidates? With the benefit of hindsight how will they explain the collapse of the Conservative party and do they envisage a revival or is the country moving to a new phase of multi-party politics? How do we manage political discourse in the new digital age? Sir Jeremy Hunt is one of the most prominent figures in British public life over the last two decades, having held several of the most senior ministerial positions under several Conservative Prime Ministers from David Cameron to Rishi Sunak. As Chancellor he was widely credited with bringing stability to the UK economy during a period of significant global and domestic volatility. Jeremy served as Foreign Secretary and is the longest-serving Health Secretary in British history (2012–2018). His tenure at the Department of Health inspired his 2022 book, "Zero: Eliminate Needless Deaths and Injuries in the NHS", a Sunday Times bestseller and establishing him as a leading voice on patient safety and institutional reform. Bim Afolami served for 7 years as MP for Hitchin and Hapenden, was Vice Chairman for the Conservative Party in 2022-23 and served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury 2023-24. Prior to entering politics Bim was a Corporate Lawyer in the City of London, followed by a stint as a senior executive at HSBC. Having left Parliament after the 2024 General Election, Bim now serves as Global Head of Strategy at American Insurance firm Acrisure, and also serves as a non-executive director of HSBC UK. Having represented the local area for seven years, he possesses a deep understanding of the specific concerns of Hertfordshire residents, from infrastructure and housing to the preservation of the local countryside. Doors open at 6:30pm, please take your seat by 6:45pm, talk to start promptly at 7pm. Please note: There are a fair number of stone steps and uneven floors throughout the house. Ariving by car: Access from M1 (Junction 8) and M25 (Junction 21a). Please enter AL3 6AE into your GPS for the entrance at the Roman Theatre off Bluehouse Hill. Once at the gate enter AL3 6AH for the house, where you will be shown where to park.