What is the Confederation of British Industry?

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is a non-profit organisation which represents the interests of 190,000 business, making it the largest such body in the UK. The current Director-General is Tony Danker.

The CBI is considered an influential organisation whose voice carries significant weight in political debate. It was prominent during the Brexit referendum in predicting a serious economic shock if the UK left the EU, although it did not campaign for either side. It later warned during UK-EU negotiations of the dramatic economic impact if there were to be a no deal exit.

The CBI’s annual conference is a major event attended by senior politicians and business leaders. At the 2021 conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made headlines for a controversial speech in which he lost track of his lines, imitated a car and made repeated references to Peppa Pig World.