Lai SeeWill CY Leung give keynote speech at the London Dinner next week?

In view of the political crisis it's going to be interesting to see if our chief executive, CY Leung, keeps his commitment as the keynote speaker at the London Dinner at The Dorchester hotel on October 30. This is an annual jamboree organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council where the great and the good from Hong Kong and Britain celebrate what great chums they are.

Last year's guest list included the heads of HSBC, John Swire & Sons; Jardine Matheson; Victor Chu, chairman and chief executive, First Eastern Investment Group; and Lydia Dunn, chairman of the Hong Kong Association.

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah last year gave what by all accounts was one of the best keynote speeches for some years, wittily combining Hong Kong's growth with the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. He went on to liken Hong Kong to a Tardis - "small on the inside, but once inside its size and potential were limited only by imagination".

But he added in words that were more prophetic than he could ever have imagined: "Even after half a century of non-stop action, you never quite know what will happen next, other than it's bound to be exciting." However, one can't help feeling that the atmosphere around this long-standing cosy relationship may have cooled in recent days with CY parroting the mainland's accusation that "external forces" are supporting the umbrella movement.

This is generally taken as code for the US and Britain. If CY shows up it'll be interesting to see if he repeats the allegations. But there is much else for him to tell his audience, though whether they will be entertained is a moot point. CY's style makes even former president Hu Jintao seem charismatic.