CML news & views

It is still not too late to book a last-minute place at one of the highlights in the calendar of the UK mortgage lending industry – the CML’s annual conference at London’s Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre this Friday.

Recognising that mortgage lending remains one of the mostly closely scrutinised of all industries, this year’s Mortgage Industry Conference and Exhibition (MICE) has been sub-titled ‘All Eyes on Us’.

As the conference blurb neatly summarises, that level of scrutiny is a challenge but also a great opportunity to turn the mirror and take a good look at ourselves. And a high-quality line-up of speakers and panellists will be telling us exactly what they see as they reflect on such key questions for the industry as:

• What can we learn in the wake of the financial crisis?
• What can we do better?
• Do we understand how our regulators see us and the lending environment?
• What are the potential threats and unintended side effects of post-crisis reform?
• And, within the mortgage market, what do we need to do to restore the trust and confidence of consumers left angry at financial services in general?

With all eyes on us, it is time both to look at our industry from the inside and to try to understand how we are seen from the outside. That is exactly what MICE – with its mix of insider industry knowledge and external assessment – will help to do. The better you understand what is going on, the better you can respond.

Our line-up of speakers includes key figures in the mortgage environment of 2010 and beyond, including the:

• housing minister, John Healey;
• managing director of the Financial Services Authority’s supervision business unit, Jon Pain;
• principal economic commentator of The Independent, Hamish McRae;
• co-founder of the Straight Talking Consultancy, Graham Davies; and
• director general of the CML, Michael Coogan.

Tickets for the day start from just £285 and, as well participating in the high level debate, delegates will also have the opportunity to network with other senior industry figures and to visit the conference exhibition, attended by 20 exhibitors.

If you believe the critics, lenders first lent too much, too cheaply, and now they are lending too little and profiteering. Politicians have blamed bankers; bankers have blamed regulators; and regulators have blamed global market forces.

On Friday, at the CML annual conference, it is time for the blame game to stop – and creative problem-solving to begin.

For further information or to arrange your booking, contact CML events organiser Claire Ashby on 020 7438 8919 or claire.ashby@cml.org.uk.