In a notable setback to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has declined an invitation to speak at its annual conference.
This leaves the CBI, which is in the process of mending its tarnished reputation, without a confirmed senior government minister as a speaker, less than a month before the event in central London.
Following a difficult six-month period marked by a financial crisis and a sexual misconduct scandal leading to an exodus of corporate members like Aviva and John Lewis Partnership, the CBI is navigating through turbulent waters.
Officials cited diary clashes ahead of next month’s autumn statement as the reason behind her unavailability.
The declining invitation comes after the CBI’s new director-general, Rain Newton-Smith has vowed to make necessary changes to help the organisation recover.
This episode underscores the challenges lying ahead for the CBI as it aims to set a robust economic agenda before the upcoming general election, amidst efforts to regain lost ground and credibility in the business community.
