Panel Debate Invitation – Going it Alone

The Steeple Times invites readers to debate “Should London go it alone and become the new Monaco?” with amongst others media personality Katie Hopkins and top immigration lawyer Roger Gherson

On Tuesday 22nd November at 7pm, The Steeple Times will host its fifth panel debate at 12 Hay Hill in Mayfair, London. Following on from the success of our recent Brexit debate, an expert panel chaired by Jackie Branston will examine the question: Should London go it alone and become the New Monaco?

Panellists will include leading London property agent Nick Crayson of Crayson, top immigration lawyer Roger Gherson of Gherson, media personality Katie Hopkins, financier Joaquin Lassala of FVC and international sales consultant Esam Sultan of Harrods Estates.

The discussion, provoked by a YouGov poll that found that “one in nine Londoners wants the capital to split off and become an entirely separate country”, will undoubtedly be lively and, in a post-Brexit, pre-Trump inauguration world, we expect heated discussion from both the panel and audience.

Tickets to the event cost £20 per person or £35 per pair and can be booked via Eventbrite by clicking here. Admittance is strictly on the basis of pre-payment only and a cash bar will operate before the event from 6.30pm and afterwards also.

Panellist Biographies

Nick Crayson – Managing Director, Crayson

Born and brought up in Notting Hill and Holland Park, Nick worked in corporate finance before setting up what he describes as a “new type of property consultancy”.  His firm’s website states: “We don’t just see buildings. We see the human side of bricks and mortar”.

Roger Gherson – Founder, Gherson

Roger Gherson established immigration and nationality law specialists Gherson in 1988. He is a graduate of University College London and has an international client base that includes both companies and high profile individuals. Gherson is lauded as having “unparalleled experience” and a “formidable reputation”.

Katie Hopkins – Broadcaster, columnist and media personality

Katie Hopkins claims to “tell it like it is”. She found fame on The Apprentice in 2007 and is a trained economist. A graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and a mother of three, Hopkins has written for the Daily Mail and The Sun and focuses on “pushing back the walls closing in on freedom of speech”.

Joaquin Lassala – Vice President, Real Estate, Fair Value Capital (FVC)

Previously head of the European acquisitions division at Thor Equities, Joaquin Lassala underwrites investment opportunities across the UK and mainland Europe at Fair Value Capital. He has been responsible for the acquisition of several real estate portfolios for amongst others the William Pears Group.

James Pimentel-Pinto – Chief Excitement Officer, ideafather

Mobile channel pioneer and tech pioneer James Pimentel-Pinto works with early-stage startups to take an idea and turn it into a scalable, robust business. He has worked with AXA, ITV and J.P. Morgan and has over 27 App Store number ones to his name.

Esam Sultan – International Sales Consultant, Harrods Estates

Born in London and raised in the United Arab Emirates, Esam Sultan works at Harrods Estates as an international sales consultant. He sees himself as “the product of two worlds”, has an Arab father and an English mother and views his life to be a “journey of connectivity between cultures, ideas, philosophies and ways of thinking.