The baroness, who is president of the charity for 2017, will address attendees of the annual event at the Printing Charity’s Stationers’ Hall home on 23 November.

Trade unionist and labour party politician Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde originally started her trade union career as a teenager. She went on to be appointed president of print, publishing and paper trades union Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) in 1983 and general secretary from 1985. After SOGAT became part of the Graphical, Paper and Media Union in 1991 Dean served as deputy general secretary for a year.

 “The Printing Charity does a great job and I’m proud to be its 2017 president,” said Dean.

“I’ve enjoyed continuing my association with what is now a wide-ranging industry, as well as supporting the annual Print Futures Awards. The charity’s Annual Luncheon is a brilliant networking event for people in the industry.”

Dean, who last year took up a directorship for Labour Tomorrow, an organisation opposing Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, was created a life peer in 1993 and a member of the Privy Council in 1998. 

Formerly chairman of the Housing Corporation and the Armed Forces Pay Review Body Dean is currently chairman of Empiric Student Property, chairman of Residential Secure Income and an independent member of the Business Oversight Board of the Law Society.

She is a vice-president of The War Widows’ Association, president of the Abbeyfield Society charity, and a trustee of University College NHS Hospital Foundation Cancer Charity.