Party conferences 2024 – what did we learn?

Another year and another season of party conferences – but this year was in no way a run-of-the-mill conference. The Labour Conference in Liverpool came off the back of a significant electoral victory, and the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham was both a stocktake moment after losing the election and a campaigning moment for four prospective party leaders. To add to the significance of this year’s conference season, 22% of UK households currently have a deficit budget, the country is in the midst of financial challenges and conflict is erupting around the world. So with the scene set for a landmark conference season, how did it shape up?

At the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences I met so many people who are passionate about doing their best jobs. Through speaking to new and former MPs it’s clear that many have gone into politics because they want to see positive change, and whatever their ideologies and political leaning, they are driven to help shape and improve our country.

The Labour Party Conference was dominated by a controlled, but energised, atmosphere, where there seemed to be a real appetite to listen and learn. Yet, actions speak louder than words and much of the Party’s rhetoric in recent weeks suggests that without the fiscal headroom, there may be some tough choices when it comes to welfare and ending UK poverty.

In contrast, the Conservative Party Conference took on a determined atmosphere. The party has an interesting path ahead as they work out what they want the next season to look like, who they want to lead them, and what as a party they want to stand for going forward. There were a lot of different ideas flying around as to where the party should go next. As with all parties, I would personally encourage the party to also take a posture of listening to the realities that people are currently going through.

We are an apolitical organisation and we work collaboratively with all in Parliament, focusing on advancing our vision of transformed lives, thriving churches, and the eradication of poverty in the UK. Although politicians’ approaches to making these a reality may vary, through sharing the experiences of our clients and insights from our research we work to resource them to make informed decisions with an understanding of the current realities and the impacts of the policy decisions they make.

As a result, we come to party conferences with our organisational principles leading our engagement. We are determined to share the realities of UK poverty. We are experts in this area due to the insights we have from those with lived experience, our research, and our years of service provision. We are compassionate to the challenging role that those working in politics face. We are collaborative in our desire to help support and resource decision-makers to make informed action and to do this alongside others in the sector.

Through attending fringe events during the conferences, and speaking to MPs, Ministers and Shadow Ministers, we demonstrated this approach and built positive working relationships. But that wasn’t all we did. We are a Christian organisation, so in a secular political space, we also wanted Christian politicians, and those in the sector, to feel welcome and supported in what can be a difficult environment. So at the Labour Party Conference, we co-hosted the ​‘Christians on the Left’ Labour Party Conference Church Service on Sunday, and a drinks reception on Monday evening. These were such positive places for people to come and be themselves, openly able to express their faith, but also able to do so surrounded by those who are unified in a collective belief. The team also attended the faith breakfast events at the Conservative Party Conference, where we joined others in prayer, and shared compassion and drive for more of a heavenly place on earth.

CAP has a small team of Policy and Public Affairs professionals who will continue to work with Parliamentarians to share insights and support their work for positive change. Off the back of the conference, the team have already had some really positive interactions and have seen the value that a compassionate, determined, expert and collaborative approach can bring.

In the nature of an open-handed approach, the team have also created a webpage for those working in the political space. You are welcome to use this as a resource hub if you work in politics, or share it with your MP. It can also be found at capuk.org/mp.

By starting from a posture of understanding, and then taking a proactive collaborative approach, we believe that together we really can see lives transformed, thriving churches, and an end to UK poverty.