LONDON, July 17, 2025 - Leading chartered accountants and business advisory firm Price Bailey welcomed political strategist and best-selling author Alastair Campbell for an exclusive evening of discussion and debate at the prestigious ICAEW building in London.

The evening was hosted by Price Bailey Partner and Strategic Corporate Finance expert, Chand Chudasama, who highlighted a striking statistic: only seven members of the current UK Government have direct business experience. Chudasama argued that it would remain challenging for Labour to understand business needs, given so few have put their own capital at risk to build their own businesses.

Revisiting Labour's campaign manifesto, Chudasama and Campbell discussed the proposal to attract private investment to drive public sector development. Campbell, while in support, also highlighted the Government's ability to modernise fiscal rules. Following the event, Chudasama echoed this, adding: "Modernising the fiscal rules would enable the bond market to support government borrowing and allow the government to invest in TRL level nine or higher assets - this would be good debt, and the returns could benefit the entire economy."

The evening featured a Q&A session, with audience questions ranging from British attitudes toward U.S. politics, to youth perspectives on national identity, and MPs' understanding of welfare issues affecting local communities and not for profit organisations.

Reflecting on the event, Martin Clapson, Managing Director at Price Bailey, said: "It was a pleasure to host Alastair Campbell and engage in such a thought-provoking discussion. The insights shared, particularly from our younger attendees, shed light on the concerns facing the next generation of business leaders and underscored the importance of intergenerational dialogue in shaping the future of British business."

Chand Chudasama, Partner at Price Bailey, added: "It was a fantastic evening and a rare opportunity to challenge and explore the political landscape with someone of Alastair's calibre. We tackled some of the most pressing issues facing UK businesses today, and it was encouraging to see such open and constructive dialogue."

Price Bailey's report, Bridging the Divide, is available to download from the Price Bailey website, here.