The Budget
Whatever the opposite of the ‘elephant in the room’ is, the budget was it: the major event that everyone was talking about, albeit without really knowing what it will bring or, if they do know, having been sworn to secrecy, as we found when Becky and Vic hosted Treasury ministers City Minister Tulip Siddiq MP and Exchequer Secretary James Murray MP at the New Statesman fringes.
The uncertainty won’t last long but the stakes are high for many of Agenda’s clients who are waiting to hear what’s on offer for the people they serve. The Society of Radiographers, for example, has huge questions about how the NHS will be fixed without an acknowledgement that investment in tech also needs an investment in recruiting the missing 10 per cent of the radiography workforce.
Class of 2024
One of the biggest buzzes at conference was the small army of newly-elected first-time MPs, whose professional backgrounds and personal experiences added depth and authenticity to the fringe discussions.
Our New Statesman panellists included:
Marie Tidball MP (Penistone and Stocksbridge), who has huge experience in special educational needs and disability issues, and spoke about apprenticeships
Peter Swallow MP (Bracknell), an academic and ex-teacher with first-hand experience of the system, speaking about education
Kanishka Narayan MP (Vale of Glamorgan), a former civil servant in the Cabinet Office and Department for Education, speaking about financial resilience for UK savers
Yuan Yang MP (Earley and Woodley), the former Financial Times journalist, speaking about tax reforms paying for public services
We were also delighted to say hello to Agenda clients and contacts including former head of communications, organising and external affairs at Prospect, Andrew Pakes MP (Peterborough); former head of research, policy and external relations at Community, Kate Dearden MP (Halifax); and the newly-elected NEC member and former Agenda associate, Cat Arnold.
Based on their contributions at conference, we’re thinking the new intake of MPs’ wealth of experience bodes well for the party and constituencies as well as the new parliament.
Growth, growth, growth
Policy-wise, the set-piece speeches, fringe programme and overall tenor of conference confirmed that the primary focus of the new Labour government is inclusive growth. This lead mission is the one into which all other missions must feed for the benefit of wider society and not at the expense of the environment.
For those organisations seeking a hearing with the new government, Agenda’s advice is to demonstrate how your cause contributes to growth, using examples of the real-world stories that highlight what your contribution means to meeting the missions and improving people’s lives, not just facts and figures.
It's also clear from conference that one of the keys to achieving growth, growth, growth will be to build, build, build; indeed one of the most striking sections of prime minister Keir Starmer’s speech was the case for building everything from pylons to prisons, including extra houses and better transport infrastructure.
Being mindful of sustainability, projects will have to contribute to the UK’s net zero targets – a topic we heard a lot about on our panel debates – as well as higher living standards and secure jobs.
Europe
Now, if only there was another key to unlocking growth. Like closer relations with Europe maybe? Definitely.
Although barely mentioned on the main stage, the arguments made at fringes and receptions seem to have made an impact, illustrated by the post-conference act, that of Keir Starmer’s visit to Brussels for talks with the leaders of the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament, the first trip to the EU capital by a UK prime minister since Brexit.
Though the changes proposed, at least for now, are modest, such as a youth mobility scheme, the mutual recognition of qualifications and a veterinary agreement, they will help reduce barriers and increase trade.
With more MPs who are supported by the Labour Movement for Europe than there are Conservative MPs, any organisation looking to work with the government should keep an eye on how UK-EU relationships are being rebuilt to see where you can add value.
For those organisations with European networks or offices – as Agenda has with our EU operation – there’s a golden opportunity to play a role in that reset by highlighting your European expertise and demonstrating your utility.
The Errors Tour
Despite the reasons to be cheerful, a cloud hung over this year’s conference. What should have been a celebration was dampened by inherited economic and societal gloom and a self-inflicted surfeit of errors, matching the rainy, windswept Liverpool microclimate.
As Labour marks 100 days in power, let’s hope we see an end to the errors and misjudgements and a stronger narrative emerges on what Labour has already achieved, ready for a Budget which hopefully resets a rocky start.
