Ken Clarke to headline IPG spring conference

Veteran politician Ken Clarke is to give the keynote speech at the Independent Publishers Guild's (IPG) Annual Spring Conference in March.

Clarke has been an MP for nearly five decades and has served in numerous cabinet positions including chancellor, home secretary, education secretary and health secretary. More recently he has been a vocal supporter of close European ties and an opponent of Brexit. He has also worked extensively in business and the media, and published his autobiography in 2016 with Pan Macmillan.

Clarke will address the conference on issues including the outlook for the economy and the impact of Brexit on business. The IPG said his vast experience across numerous sectors and his "rich political knowledge" promises to make him a compelling keynote for the event. 

The IPG’s Annual Spring Conference will take place from Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th March 2018, at the Crowne Plaza Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire. It will also incorporate the 12th annual IPG Independent Publishing Awards, this year sponsored by Ingram.

The IPG expects the conference to draw the largest number of delegates in more than 50 years of the event.  

“Very few politicians have such deep experience of political and public life in the UK, and Clarke is sure to provide a fascinating perspective on the economic outlook and the consequences of Brexit," said  IPG chief executive Bridget Shine. "He will be an outstanding keynote at a conference that is shaping up to be the biggest and best in the long history of the IPG."