Kurdistan quiz for bigwigs

Spy is looking forward to next week’s annual conference of the Iraq Britain Business Council at The Mansion House.

As you would expect for such an event the great and the good are being wheeled out including CBI President Rupert Soames, former Tory Energy Secretary Lord Howell of Guildford, and the Lord Mayor’s representative Alderman Alex Barr.

The Iraqi authorities are sending a high level delegation to the heart of the City for what will no doubt be an illuminating gathering on, among other things, “best practice” in business dealings. It includes a number of representatives of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in the north of Iraq, once held as beacon of hope and freedom in a deeply troubled country.

Spy will be intrigued to hear whether attendees will be addressing Kurdistan’s current reputation as one of the most corrupt places to invest on the planet - a recent US State Department report highlighted “domination of the country by politically powerful families.”

No doubt City bigwigs will be emphasising the sanctity of that old Square Mile mantra: my word is my bond.