Tunbridge Wells Business Show - Speaker List
Workshops, seminars & keynote speakers at Tunbridge Wells Business Show 10th November 2026
LGR (Local Government Reorganisation): What does it mean for local businesses?
- 11:30 to 12:10
Join us for a panel discussion exploring the practical and strategic implications of Local Government Reorganisation for the business community.
Mike Martin (MP for Tunbridge Wells) will be joining the panel alongside William Benson (CEO, TWBC) and Justine Rutland (Cabinet Member for Economic Development), bringing together strategic, operational, and business-facing perspectives:
-
Mike will set out the bigger picture – how LGR fits within Andy Burnham’s wider devolution agenda, and what that landscape is likely to look like over the next 10–20 years.
-
Justine, alongside Mike, will focus on what this means for business specifically: place-making under a new local authority, and how to create the right conditions for small businesses to thrive.
- William will cover the practical route to get there – the key milestones and processes involved in delivering reorganisation.
The session will follow with a Q & A session from the audience.