Varun Chandra, the British Prime Minister’s "business whisperer,” has been putting his extensive contacts book to use at the Labour party conference this week, meeting corporate networkers who hope to have the ear of the new government.

Chandra has been popular, getting stopped for chats outside in the Liverpool rain, while on the sidelines of business events, people waited their turn to speak to him.

Keen to avoid public profile, Chandra told business leaders behind closed doors he would try to be their interface with the government. Some attendees were impressed by his enthusiasm, though cautious about some of his more dramatic pledges and his ability to bring about cross departmental cooperation, according to several people who spoke to him.