Sir Philip Augar

The big end of town? Coming to terms with the City

Sir Philip Augar

A former banker, Philip has been commenting on the City for over twenty years. A PhD in History, he has written seven books, contributes to the Financial TimesSunday Times and the BBC and chaired the UK government panel reviewing English tertiary education in 2018-19.

The big end of town? Coming to terms with the City.

Financial services is the industry the public loves to hate. Blamed for the crash of 2008 and the ensuing decade of austerity, reviled for apparently getting away with it, the bankers have become pantomime villains. But the whole sector contributes a tenth of national taxes, employs over a million people and is one of the few UK industries to generate a balance of trade surplus. Cities such as London, Edinburgh and Glasgow thrive on it and as England and Scotland look for a growth path out of recession, high skill sectors such as financial services will inevitably be part of the recovery. But how do we learn from the lessons of the past and seize the opportunities of the future without becoming unduly reliant on this volatile business?  Through a historical perspective, this talk will look at these questions and suggest possible answers.

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Sir Charles Wilson Building

Address: 1 University Avenue, Glasgow – at the corner of University Avenue and Gibson Street.

Access information –  here

This lecture theatre is very atmospheric, as you can see in the picture above. It has all modern facilities but retains many original features in a beautifully refurbished church building. There are good public transport links, free parking very close by in the University grounds from 5pm, plus nice places to eat or drink before the lecture if you want to make a night of it.

The venue has a hearing loop which can be accessed via a hearing aid. The best reception for the loop can be achieved by audience members sitting in one of the front six rows.

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