Michael Portillo to speak at BMF Conference

Builders merchants organisation the Builders Merchants Federation has signed up the Right Honourable Michael Portillo for this year’s BMF all-industry conference.

Portillo will close the morning session on Day 1 of the All Industry Conference 2013, which takes place in Portugal in June.

He was elected to Parliament in 1984 as MP for Enfield Southgate, before losing to Stephen Twigg in the Labour landslide of 1997. He was a minister for eleven years and had three positions in the Cabinet, including Secretary of State for Defence.

Following the death of Alan Clark, Portillo returned to the Commons in 1999 as MP for Kensington and Chelsea, was shadow Chancellor, and contested the leadership of the party in 2001.

Since leaving politics, he has devoted himself to writing and broadcasting. He has made radio and television documentaries on a wide range of subjects, including five series of “Great British (and recently Continental) Railway Journeys” for BBC2. In 2008 he chaired the judges of the Man Booker prize, and chaired the Art Fund prize for museums and galleries in 2011.

John Newcomb, BMF managing director said: “We are absolutely delighted to secure Michael to speak at the conference. As a politician and minister, Michael’s role was to set a policy framework to foster business-friendly conditions for people to create the wealth needed for a prosperous, dynamic economy. His personal demonstration that skills acquired in one arena can be transferred and honed in another to give equal, if not greater, success sits well with this year’s conference theme, Fit for the Future.”