EOA Summer Dinner launches a manifesto of employee ownership

The EOA Summer Dinner attended by more than 150 members of the EOA enjoyed an address from Baroness Sharon Bowles of Berkhamsted, on Thursday Jun 8.

Held in the Palace of Westminster, Baroness Bowles addressed the room talking about the political journey of employee ownership and her commitment to revealing the evidence for employee ownership as an economic and social enabler in her role as chair of an inquiry, led by the EOA, The Ownership Effect.

Baroness Sharon Bowles said: “Ethics, culture, governance and responsibility have been at the heart of my own career, the legislation that I helped create, and also the things that I have been pursuing since joining the Lords 18 months ago.

“So it is an honour and a privilege to stand with you in the promotion of employee ownership in all its shapes and sizes, where people are recognised as the heart of business.

“Right now Brexit brings challenges and uncertainties, but one thing that is certain is the direction of travel of public opinion – and therefore of politics – is to seek those things from companies that actually stem naturally from employee ownership.”

The event, sponsored by Mott MacDonald, the UK’s largest employee-owned global engineering, management and development consultancy, coincided with general election which gave much food for thought and sparked many conversations about what the political landscape would look like the following day.

This was seized upon by CEO of the Employee Ownership Association’s Deb Oxley who addressed the audience on what the manifesto for an employee Ownership Party would look like.

Deb Oxley said: “We’re making a habit of this, last year the event was held and the EU Referendum was called – this year the General Election. However, one consistent element of what I said last year that still rings true today is that of change – and the opportunity change inevitably provides for us to pursue our mission to mainstream employee ownership.

“So I’m delighted that the focus of our host and speaker, Baroness Bowles, has been about the relevance and timeliness of employee ownership at this time of such significant change.

“With all this political change I started to consider what might have been in the manifesto of a new political party, the Employee Ownership Party, in 2017. Our manifesto is for Better Business with a commitment to better corporate behaviours, more profitable and resilient businesses, doing good whilst doing well and to deliver businesses that truly engage everyone.”

The EOA Summer Dinner is a member only event that provides a unique opportunity to network with other employee owned businesses in the impressive surroundings of the Members’ Dining Room at the Palace of Westminster.

A Drinks Reception was sponsored for a fifth year by MyCSP, the leading employee owned civil service pensions administrator.

For speeches and a gallery of pictures see our Summer Dinner webpage