The Board of Deputies is hoping a woman’s touch will get tickets moving for its appeal dinner.

With just a few weeks before next month’s event, featuring Home Secretary Teresa May, the Board has turned to former vice-president Flo Kaufmann to be dinner chairman. “I was asked to pull it together,” Mrs Kaufmann said.

As for the possibility floated by the Board that German chancellor Angela Merkel might attend to receive a special award, Mrs Kaufmann said, “Angela Merkel is not coming.”