Downtown in Business (DIB) has announced a new partnership with Prosper UK, the pro-growth think tank co-founded by former Managing Director of John Lewis & Partners and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, alongside former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.
The collaboration will see a series of high-level events delivered across the UK, bringing together senior business leaders, policymakers, and investors to drive forward a practical, business-led agenda for economic growth.
The programme will launch with an exclusive invitation-only leaders lunch in Liverpool on Wednesday 3rd June, focused on the role of the professional services sector in supporting investment, productivity, and regional prosperity.
From shop floor to city region leadership
Before entering politics, Andy Street built a highly successful career at John Lewis, rising through the ranks to become Managing Director of the employee-owned retail giant.
During his leadership, he helped oversee a period in which the John Lewis brand consistently delivered strong sales growth, expanded its store portfolio across the UK, and successfully adapted to the rise of online retail – no small feat in one of the most disruptive decades the high street has ever faced.
Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most respected retail leaders, Street combined commercial discipline with the values of the partnership model, balancing profitability with long-term sustainability and customer trust.
That blend of commercial acumen and values-led leadership carried through into his tenure as Mayor of the West Midlands, where he
became known for his pro-business approach, collaborative leadership style, and relentless focus on delivery.
A new voice for pro-growth policy
Prosper UK has been established with a clear mission: to champion practical, deliverable solutions to the UK’s economic challenges.
The organisation is focused on:
· Backing regional economies and devolved leadership
· Strengthening public and private sector collaboration
· Encouraging investment, innovation, and productivity
· Supporting skills development and infrastructure delivery
With leadership rooted in both business and politics, Prosper UK is positioning itself as a credible, pragmatic voice, focused on outcomes, not ideology.
A partnership built on delivery
Downtown in Business has previously worked closely with Andy Street during his time as Mayor, forging a strong relationship based on a shared commitment to growth and meaningful engagement with the private sector.
This renewed collaboration reflects a joint ambition to scale that approach nationally to create platforms where decision-makers and business leaders can engage in honest, solutions-focused discussions.
The Liverpool leaders lunch will convene a select group of senior figures from the professional services sector alongside key public sector stakeholders, providing a forum to explore both the opportunities and barriers to growth and how they can be addressed.
Driving the national conversation
The Liverpool event will be the first in a series of roundtables, lunches, and conferences across key UK cities in the months ahead.
Each event will be designed not just to talk about growth, but to shape the policies, partnerships, and actions needed to deliver it.
Frank McKenna, Group Chair and Chief Executive of Downtown in Business, said:
“Andy Street brings something very few people can offer. Real credibility in both business and politics. His success at John Lewis and his track record as Mayor show exactly what can be achieved with the right leadership and mindset.
“At Downtown, we’re focused on outcomes. This series of events with Prosper UK is about creating the right conversations, with the right people, to drive growth across the UK.”
Andy Street, co-founder of Prosper UK, added:
“Prosper UK is about putting forward serious, deliverable ideas to boost economic growth and improve productivity.
“My experience in business taught me that success comes from clarity, collaboration, and a focus on customers, and those same principles apply to economic policy.
“Working with Downtown in Business gives us a powerful platform to engage directly with business leaders across the country, starting in Liverpool.”
Event details
Prosper UK & Downtown in Business Leaders Lunch
📍 Liverpool
📅 Wednesday 3rd June
🎯 Focus: Professional services, economic growth, and regional investment
Attendance is strictly by invitation only.
