On March 8, the Atlantic Council hosted a private lunch discussion with UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment, the Rt. Hon. Lord Maude of Horsham. Lord Maude was accompanied by his appointed successor, Lord Price, who will take up the duties of trade minister in April.

Lord Maude discussed some of the key trade issues facing the United Kingdom, with a particular emphasis on the strategic implications of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) for the United Kingdom. He provided his perspective on the prospects for a push toward achieving TTIP before the end of 2016, in addition to addressing the general state of the US-UK trade and investment relationship.

Francis Maude was appointed Minister of State for Trade and Investment in May 2015. He was previously Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, and also served as the Conservative MP for Horsham, West Sussex from 1997 to 2015. Lord Maude was Chairman of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2007. Outside politics, Lord Maude has served as Non-Executive Director of ASDA Group, Director at Salomon Brothers, and Managing Director of Morgan Stanley.

Lord Price formally takes up the role of UK Trade Minister in April 2016. Lord Price was previously Managing Director of Waitrose, a role he took up in April 2007. In August 2013, alongside his Waitrose role, he was also made Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. He was Chairman of Business in the Community from 2011 to 2015.