The item said that, "in terms of ministerial attendance, it is likely to be a glittering affair".


Prime minister Tony Blair, chancellor Gordon Brown, trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt, education secretary Estelle Morris and transport secretary Stephen Byers were all slated to speak, although Labour Research reported that "the ongoing war in Afghanistan may change these plans". 


The magazine pointed out: "With this line-up the CBI has attracted more senior ministerial talent than the TUC two months earlier, despite Labour’s traditional links with the unions. 


"… there is no doubt that the CBI’s influence over the government is substantial and its lobbying is often successful. A CBI document in July this year lists some of the CBI’s 'achievements for business in the previous six months." 


On the financial front, they included persuading the government to • drop plans allowing local authorities to levy supplementary business rates; and changing pension fund rules, avoiding companies “paying more into their pension schemes than is necessary”. 


From a union perspective it was the CBI’s “achievements for business” in the employment rights area that were of greatest interest. Its main achievement in the year, said Labour Research, was that “the government proposal for a statutory right to part-time working for parents of young children has been dropped after concerted CBI lobbying”.