A record number of MPs and the industry's top brass attended Building's annual reception on the House of Commons terrace, where they heard a controversial speech by Peter Rogers.
Strategic forum chief Peter Rogers' call for a new breed of super-contractor and smarter project managers was the highlight of Building's annual terrace reception at the House of Commons on Monday (see news).

Building invited Rogers to outline his views on the future of the industry as part of the magazine's 160th anniversary celebrations. These also included a special future-gazing supplement, Building160, which was handed to guests at the end of the evening, and which is published with this week's issue.

The reception was attended by more than 200 industry leaders and MPs – a record for the 27-year history of the event.

Among the guests were contractors Sir Peter Mason of Amec, Sir Frank Lampl and John Spanswick of Bovis Lend Lease, Mike Welton of Balfour Beatty, Costain's Stuart Doughty, Benny Kelly of Sir Robert McAlpine, John Morgan of Morgan Sindall, Brian May of HBG, Stef Stefanou of John Doyle, James Wates of Wates, and new Major Contractors Group boss Dermot Gleeson.

Also in attendance were CITB chief Sir Michael Latham, Atkins' Mike Jeffries, Ken Shuttleworth of Foster and Partners, Bob White of Mace, Rudi Klein of SEC Group, and Francis Ives of Cyril Sweett. Clients included David Adamson of Cambridge University and Geoff Wright of Hammerson.

Among the MPs were Sir George Young, Tony Baldry and Virginia Bottomley, as well as Tom Cox, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Construction – under whose auspices the reception was staged. Bill Olner MP, the group's secretary, made a lively address, stressing the national importance of the construction industry.