Variety Club Awards: Politics 'can end Afghan conflict' (Video)

THE conflict in Afghanistan is a tribal war which has a political solution, a leading diplomat told Yorkshire's business leaders at a glittering dinner in Leeds.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, the former British ambassador to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and General Sir Richard Dannatt, the former chief of the general staff, were the star attractions at an event which honoured Yorkshire business leaders who managed to keep their business empires' growing during the recession.

The Variety Club Yorkshire Business Awards, which were supported by the Yorkshire Post and executive search firm Hitchenor Wakeford, attracted a 400 strong audience to the Queens Hotel in Leeds.

Compere Adrienne Lawler said that Sir Sherard was unafraid to speak his mind, which meant that, despite successfully dodging bullets and landmines overseas, it turned out that the real danger lay in the political offices of Washington and London.

In October he took early retirement, and he is now kept busy writing books which will include serious analysis and diplomatic anecdotes.

During his speech, Sir Sherard said he had once applied unsuccessfully for a job on the "world's greatest newspaper", the Yorkshire Post.

On the subject of Afghanistan, he said: "It is a very serious war. It's costing you, the British taxpayer, getting on for 6bn a year...It's cost the lives of many brave British soldiers.

"The conflict that is taking place is rather like the conflicts that were taking place in this county, and in this city, in this valley, in the time of the Wars of the Roses.

"Essentially, tribal warfare on a grand scale. There's no military solution and there's no non-military solution either.

"My problem as someone advising Ministers, is that we have in Britain and America extremely competent and extremely brave military officers.

"I can't, unfortunately, always say the same of the politicians who are directing them."

He said one senior politician had needed to be reminded about the difference between a battalion and a platoon.

He added: "You have politicians with very little experience of military matters directing a campaign which is essentially political."

Speaking afterwards, he was asked if he thought President Obama's administration understood the need for a political settlement.

He told the Yorkshire Post: "I hope so. David Miliband (the former Foreign Secretary) and I spent a year and a half, putting this message to Hillary Clinton (the US Secretary of State) and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. David Cameron has been very clear that the British troops will start getting out of combat in 2014. We've got to start as soon as possible delivering this political process, but it won't be solved overnight."

Sir Richard Dannatt added: "I'm going back to Iraq next month, and I know I will see a place that's got hope and a future.

"That is testament to what the army has done over six years, and also in the memory of the 179 of our people who lost their lives there, including many soldiers from Yorkshire. Yorkshire has a wonderful tradition of providing soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines for the armed forces."LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Baroness deeply moved by accolade

AS a former teacher and councillor leader, Baroness Eaton is used to addressing large, and sometimes hostile, audiences.

But she was clearly deeply moved by the warmth of the reception when she picked up the Variety Club Lifetime Achievement Award.

True to her Yorkshire roots, she chose the title Baroness Eaton of Cottingley, in honour of her home village, in West Yorkshire, when she took up her seat in the House of Lords earlier this year.

She was elected as a councillor in 1986 and went on to become the first female leader of Bradford Council in 2000. She stayed in that role for six years and has also been chair and co-chair of many boards and committees, including Leeds-Bradford International Airport and the Local Government Association.

The compere Adrienne Lawler said: "Her entire career has been about bringing together local communities and finding ways to serve them better. There is certainly nothing and no-one like this dame."

Baroness Eaton said: "As a Yorkshirewoman, I know that Yorkshire audiences don't give praise easily, so it is particularly wonderful for me in my own county to receive this award.

"When I was leader of Bradford Council, times were difficult, but I passionately believe in the place and the people of Bradford and what we can do there together.

"Where else but Yorkshire can you find so many vibrant and wonderful communities? I'm now in the House of Lords... as you probably know people in the Lords don't have a constituency. Well, that's fine, but I have an emotional constituency and that's Yorkshire. I will never forget that I belong here."

BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

Republic looking to global expansion

LONG-term global expansion could be on the cards for the winner of the prestigious Business Leader of the Year Award, which is sponsored by the Yorkshire Post.

Tim Whitworth, the chief executive of Leeds-based fashion brand Republic, started his business empire in 1989.

He started working as a Saturday boy at an independent denim retailer in Leeds.

He worked his way through the business, learning the retail trade. He also helped the company to grow through new store openings and initiatives such as own label products.

In 2002, he and his business partner Carl Brewins led a management buyout. Two more private equity deals followed – one in 2005 worth 105m and another this year in a transaction worth 300m.

He now employs more than 3,000 people.

Earlier this year, Republic revealed that it aimed to double its turnover over the next three years as it increased its market share around Britain.

Republic attracts shoppers in the 16-25 market, including "surfer/skater" types and brand junkies.

Mr Whitworth said: "The secret to being a good retailer is forgetting about yourself.

"Retail is full of egos, but our business certainly isn't. You need to understand the wider market that you're playing in.

"You need to remain absolutely myopically focused on one person, and one person only, and that is the customer.

"We will continue opening stores, looking after our customers. We're up to 113 stores. We could probably grow to 250 in the UK.

"We'll look internationally thereafter."

BOARD OF THE YEAR

Award caps incredible year for set-top box maker Pace

Pace, the winner of the board of the year title, is at the heart of digital entertainment in the 21st century.

The award, which is sponsored by executive search firm Hitchenor Wakeford, is presented to the Yorkshire-based management team that displays outstanding leadership.

Saltaire-based Pace has had an incredible year. In September, the set-top box maker revealed that it had secured bank funding for its 308m ($475m) acquisition of US broadband firm 2Wire.

The firm revealed plans to expand further in the home entertainment market in July, with a purchase that lifts it to third in the global "home hub" or "residential gateway" market.

Residential gateways are home networking devices which

allow consumers to connect technology such as high definition TV, digital video recorders, video on demand, digital photography, home closed circuit TV and gaming consoles, to create a "convergent experience".

This gives users universal access to all their multimedia content, whether at home or away, over a broadband connection.

Neil Gaydon, the chief executive of Pace, who collected the award from Paul Spetch, the chairman of Hitchenor Wakeford, said: "Having the right board in terms of experience and skills is very important. We've changed the board as time has gone on and we have got bigger. It is vital, particularly for the non-execs, that they are up to date with crucial business information. If they're not aware of what's happening in the business, you can't get much value out of them. We're making a set top box every one and a half seconds around the world.

"Yorkshire is the place where we decide the global strategy, and where we decide and set the culture for the company globally. We also have lots of smart engineers who are designing some of the most amazing products. We are incredibly decentralised. We've got incredibly strong teams in America, strong teams in Europe with their own executive teams and we're managing that out of Yorkshire. If you want to be on the main executive team at Pace, you've got to move to Yorkshire.

"You will soon have a fully integrated converged home. It means that, when you are dealing with voice calls, dealing with broadband, internet services and TV, they will all be harmonised into one eco-system."

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Helping companies become greener

IT'S cliche to say this, but where there's muck, there's brass, as the winner of the small business of the year category can testify.

Associated Waste Management helps companies to protect the environment.

It provides waste management and recycling services to companies across Yorkshire.

It opened a high technology recycling plant in Bradford in 2008, which includes a complex sorting system.

John Brooksbank, who founded Associated Waste Management, received the award from Neil Williams, the regional director for Yorkshire, from Santander Corporate Banking, who sponsored the award.

The judges were looking to recognise an outstanding organisation that employs fewer than 150 people and has an annual turnover under 20m.

Associated Waste Management processes more than 250,000 tonnes of mixed waste a year.

The company has invested heavily in recycling technologies.

Mr Brooksbank, who established Associated Waste Management in 2000, told the Yorkshire Post: "Most companies set targets for the recycling figures. We can

help companies to become greener.

"The most important lesson is to value your customer base and value your staff. It's all about the hard work we have put in over the last three years, during difficult times.

"We started with 10 of us, now we're 150 and we will probably grow to 200. We've been working hard and re-modelling the business and adapting to the times."

He said the company had plans to develop a 12m six-acre site in Gelderd Road, Leeds, which will process between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes of waste every year.

Business Leader of the Year, sponsored by the Yorkshire Post:

Tim Whitworth, chief executive of Republic.

Board of the Year, sponsored by Hitchenor Wakeford:

Pace plc.

Small Business of the Year, sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking: Associated Waste Management.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Baroness Eaton.