Alastair discussed the outlook for the UK economy, sharing some of the insights he has gained from businesses across the East Midlands.

Alastair joined the Bank of England in 1994, taking over as Agent of the East Midlands Agency in February 2010.

The role and term of a Bank of England Agent dates back to 1826, and is used to describe the Bank’s senior representative in a region. There are currently 12 regional agents around the UK, acting as the Bank’s eyes, ears and voice in each area. They are an important channel of communication between businesses, business organisations, the general public and the Bank’s policy makers.

The Bank of England is responsible for setting the short-term interest rate in the UK, as well as for the stability of the UK’s financial system.

Alastair leads a small team based in Nottingham, covering the whole of the East Midlands. He reports directly to the Bank’s policy makers and senior economists in London.

His day to day duties include visiting a wide range of businesses in the region, and talking to those at the cutting edge of the economy.

Before taking on the role as Agent, he spent 15 years as an economist at the Bank’s head office in London. Alastair has an MSc in Economics from the University of Glasgow and a degree in History and Economics from Oxford University.

Nottingham City Business Club was established in 1924 and its membership comprises of senior representatives of the local business community.

The club holds monthly lunch meetings for members to meet fellow senior business people in the city, with different prominent guest speakers featuring at each event.

Club vice president, Richard Cooper, added: “The July lunch event was a great success and Alastair was a brilliant guest speaker. Our members and guests found it really beneficial to learn more about UK economy and to have the opportunity to ask Alastair questions.”

The next Nottingham City Business Club lunch will take place on Friday 15 September, 2017, with David Williams, the MD of Butt Foods Ltd, as guest speaker.

The event will be at the Park Plaza Hotel, on Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, with registration beginning at 11:45am. Tickets cost £27.50 for members and £39.50 for non members. To book a place and for further information, visit the NCBC website: nottinghamcitybusinessclub.co.uk.