Thursday evening saw the Conservative Friends of Pakistan (CFoP) host ‘Entrepreneurism in the UK’ at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in central London. The event was attended by over 50 guests and sought to engage with the British Pakistani community. The event was chaired by Michael Wade, Chairman of CFoP, with an introductory speech from Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science, on the Government’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs. Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon made the keynote speech of the evening on his experience in business, and how this has enabled him to gain a clear view of how to incentivise entrepreneurism. He spoke of the shared beliefs and aims of the British Pakistani community and the Conservative Party. The event was closed by Michael Wade who said that on the issues of business, aspiration and backing those who want to work hard and get on in life the Conservative Party leads the debate and he hoped these values would be shared within the British Pakistani community. Minister for Universities and Science, David Willets, said: “We want to make sure that everyone from a British Pakistani background has the opportunity to get on in business and to be able to succeed in reaching their goals through hard work. “We want a completely meritocratic system of getting into university and we recognise the need for a clear route map in achieving this. It is one of our key missions.”Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, said: “The Conservative Party represents the spirit of entrepreneurism in supporting those who want to aspire, and this work ethic is also felt deeply by the British Pakistani community. “This Government is absolutely committed to improving the prospects for those who want to work hard, and it will continue to be the case that Conservatives dedicate their work to ensuring there is a pro-growth framework in place enabling businesses to prosper in Britain.”
All the photos from the event can be accessed here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93867139@N02/sets/72157632946329395/
A report including Lord Ahmad's speech can be accessed here:
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2013/03/lord-ahmad-.html