Chancellor brings in top design talent for Creativity Summit

Not since the late 1980s have British designers been so publicly courted by Downing Street.

Tomorrow morning, a clutch of leading lights from the profession will attend a rare reception with Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Tomorrow’s business breakfast, which fanfares the completion of the Cox Review, will be attended by Jonathan Ive, Sir Terence Conran, Lord Norman Foster, Sir Paul Smith and Sir Martin Sorrell, as well as Sir George Cox and David Kester from the Design Council.

It kicks off a day of high-level discussions led by HM Treasury and dubbed the Creativity Summit, which includes a lunch with heads of business and design at the Tanaka Business School of Imperial College in London’s Kensington.

Many industry pundits believe the summit reflects increasing Treasury interest in the design industry, which will be launched by the Chancellor in his Pre-Budget address, re-tabled for later this year.

Design Council chief executive Kester says, ‘The Treasury is organising this Creativity Summit to examine some fundamental issues behind the Cox Review and discuss how key organisations and individuals will need to collaborate long-term [to effect the changes it will highlight] on his recommendation.’

Cox declined to comment, but confirms the Cox Review will be published by the Treasury in due course.