Breakfast Club Briefings at the Labour Party Conference
For those that missed the latest Breakfast Club Briefings event at the Labour Party Conference this month, our director, Oli Lowrie reflects on the importance of bringing together policymakers, politicians and the property sector, as well as his wider impressions on where housing, housebuilding, planning reform and sustainable development fall within Labour’s emerging manifesto…
“Our Breakfast Club Briefings with SME4Labour was one of the first sessions on day two of the conference and brought together an incredible panel to explore the crucial question of how we can design and build cities that prioritise fairness, inclusivity and equity for all members of our communities.
“Joining Jon and I were Cllr. Bella Sankey, Cllr. Kieron Williams, Cllr. Krupa Sheth, Cllr. Mete Coban MBE and Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol. The session allowed for a lively and impassioned discussion where each of these inspiring leaders outlined their respective vision for the future of their cities, and how to implement these without leaving anyone behind.
“We heard how important it is to involve communities and young people in the decision-making process, and some tangible yet creative solutions for a more equitable development of our great cities. I left with nothing but absolute admiration for the local leaders and councillors who work tirelessly for the benefit of their communities.
“Attending the wider conference, the most obvious difference from those I’ve attended in the past was the energy and focus on housing that is being set out from the top. The devil will be in the detail, but the speeches by Angela Rayner, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP and Sir Keir Starmer put housing at the heart of Labour's vision for the future of the UK.
“Whilst New Towns and reform of the planning system are hardly new ideas, Starmer’s subsequent interviews clarifying that he will prioritise housebuilding over local objections was brave, bold, and delivers leadership to those local politicians who also believe that our towns and cities need to be transformed to create a fairer future.
“Whilst not committing to reversing Rishi’s rollback of net zero commitments, Starmer and Reeves’ speeches indicated that sustainable development will be a point of differentiation in the next election. In fact, the establishment of a national energy company to deliver green infrastructure projects was something we proposed during our fringe event at the 2022 conference!
“Overall, I left optimistic at the vision for the UK housing sector and with a clear consensus that companies, charities, politicians and the Labour party itself has accepted it will be the next government and are now putting flesh on the bones of an emerging manifesto.”
