As party conferences come to an end, we reflect on learnings from the Labour and Conservative events and what they mean for local leaders moving forward.
They say a week is a long time in politics; never has that felt like such an understatement.
Liz Truss’ premiership has not had the easiest start, and as her party gathered in Birmingham, all eyes were on the PM to see whether she could calm the waters.
Party conferences can be strange affairs. As congregations of the faithful (dissenters normally avoid), they can mislead outsiders as to the real standing and challenges faced by each party. Looking beyond the standing ovations and camera smiles, the divisions in the Conservative party are clear, with senior cabinet members openly contradicting the new Prime Minister and Chancellor.
The new leadership have staked everything on growing the UK economy. The new policy is to drive growth by reducing the tax burden and creating ‘investment zones’ in the hope that these will stimulate private sector investment. This is not just an economic gamble, but a political one as well.
The 70+ seat majority currently enjoyed by the Conservative party is not a stable one and the PM may find herself unable to deliver policy if enough MPs disagree. We have already seen a significant number of her own MPs say they will not vote for announced measures, and this presents a real challenge. Winning over these MPs will be key to her survival and, if quick progress isn’t made, we can expect a febrile environment to boil over with the potential for further leadership changes.
In stark contrast, the Labour party conference was one, at least on the surface, of unity and clarity of thought. Buoyed by recent events, the narrative focused on a growing belief across the party that they can win the next general election.
Kier Starmer appears in control of the party – no longer hiding from the achievements of the Blair government, but openly celebrating them. This represents a significant shift, with the party moving to the centre ground of British politics – a space recently vacated following the removal of Boris Johnson.
Levelling-up is central to their plans for a Labour government - but it will be green. Net zero and the push for sustainability will drive the agenda, with investment in new energy production, skills and training, and wider infrastructure, including retrofitting.
