Make Sure Your Finance Speech Adds Up

This week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, gave the annual Mansion House speech at the Annual Financial and Professional Services Dinner. It's a speech that's given in an atmosphere of ancient custom and tradition in the centre of the city of London, to a select audience drawn from the City's financial institutions, the Bank of England and the Press. The food and wine is rather good as well.

But beyond that, it's an economics speech, a finance speech about the United Kingdom economy. And it's certainly a speech that we normally expect to be truthful, honest, and to a large extent transparent. Of course we've looked at the Mansion House speech before, notably with a George Osborne speech. But without a finance speech to her name, Theresa May also got in on the act with a Brexit speech there.

Interest in the Chancellor's Finance Speech

However, the Chancellor is in the news this week because it appears that she's been economical with the truth about her CV (curriculum vitae), her résumé, if you like.

Because whilst she's stated earlier, not least in a book that she authored, her many and varied roles as an economist at various banks in the United Kingdom were not quite as first appeared.

Before entering politics, I worked as an economist at the Bank of England.
And then in financial services.

Because it does seem that the Chancellor inflated her role. When she was at Halifax Bank of Scotland. And whilst she wasn't an economist at the bank, she was actually a complaints support manager at the retail bank, altogether a very different role and very different experience. Not much of an asset at the Treasury.

Yes, she appeared to be someone who worked at a bank, but she was never an economist at that bank.

However, one thing we expect from the Chancellor is an understanding of economics. And we don't appear to have that in her career history. Albeit her Masters degree from the London School of Economics is an achievement.

Knowledge is an Asset for a Finance Speech

Is this a problem? Perhaps. Perhaps not. After all Nigel Lawson was a financial journalist of note before he became an MP and then Chancellor. And Jeremy Hunt was a successful businessman before becoming Chancellor. So, there's really no need to be an economist. Or indeed a reason to say you were an economist. But there is the matter of telling untruths.

And how was the finance speech?

Well, her speech appeared to focus on pension reform and even more government regulation. And for anyone with a memory of a former Labour Chancellor, Gordon Brown, messing with pensions isn't always a good idea. But, beyond that, we did note her relatively short sentences. Also, her listing style is concise.

When you're looking to give your next finance speech then you'll find plenty of top tips for speakers and presenters here at Time to Market. Because with more than 100 top tips, there's something for every public speaking or presentation event. And, what's more, when you really want to make a suitable return with your speeches, then you're welcome to enroll on an online public speaking course.