Spotlight
It’s the heart of conference season, and whilst the Labour, Lib Dem, Green and Reform conferences are done and dusted, we have (possibly) the most interesting Conservative conference in years still to come.
We take a quick look at what we’ve learned so far from conference season, and some of the stories you might have missed, below.
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Conference Season Special
Tory Leadership shootout hots up
Mel Stride was the latest Tory candidate to get knocked from the leadership race in a vote of potential party leaders earlier this month, meaning it’s now a four-way shootout for the leadership. Robert Jenrick comes out on top with 33 votes, and recent polls have shown he’s now the favourite to become the next Tory leader after getting a 38.3% backing, closely followed by former Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch, on 34.9%.
Many Tory members apparently do believe the party has drifted far too deep into the middle ground, with a recent poll suggesting about 9 in 10 members want a meaningful shift back to “traditional, right of centre conservative territory”.
Robert Jenrick seems to be the answer for many, having already said that English identity is under threat from mass migration, criticising ‘woke culture’, and pledging to restore the Rwanda policy if he were to become Tory leader.
But the real acid-test will be who can really capture hearts and minds at next week’s Conservative conference. Expect some tub-thumping speeches, and plenty of salacious anonymous briefings to the media from each candidate next week
How DESNZ became the Department for Good Vibes
Amidst a glut of fairly gloomy headlines – from a tough upcoming Autumn Budget to winter fuel payment cuts – Ed Miliband has cut a stark, and refreshingly positive figure in recent days.
At a Labour Conference full of speeches about difficult decisions and the need to brace ourselves for the job to come, Miliband contrasted with passionate words about creating jobs in renewable energy, bringing consumer bills down, making people ‘better off’ under Net Zero, and making the UK a global leader on sustainability.
His achievements so far are well known to everyone in the industry: returning onshore wind, granting permission to four DCO solar farms, introducing GB Energy, and the effective nationalisation of National Grid’s ESO. It’s no great surprise then, that Miliband is being branded Minister for Good Vibes by the Westminster media.
The question now is whether he’ll continue to be given freedom and budget to fulfil his plans by Rachel Reeves and the Treasury, or whether he too will be asked to curtail his ambitions (as he was back in February).
Ed Davey Continues Fun Uncle Routine
With three Select Committee Chairs – for health, the environment, and petitions – and a swathe of 72 ambitious new MPs, the Lib Dems pack a serious punch at Westminster now.
Not that ‘serious’ is necessarily front and centre of mind when it comes to Davey (who had to be talked out of putting his hand up a cow’s backside for an election stunt).
Nevertheless, Davey used the Lib Dem conference to set out his vision of the Lib Dems as the party of the NHS, social care and home carers. He’s made it clear his party will not let the Government ease up on social care reform, and for a party specifically targeting disillusioned Tory voters in the shires, it’s a line of attack which does carry some weight.
But anyone who hoped the jet skiing, dad dancing, and beach volleyball would let up once the Lib Dems got the election out the way will be bitterly disappointed.
Keir Fears the Wurst
Attending the Leader’s speech at Labour Conference this year, the Luminate team did a slight double-take. “Did….he just say sausages?” we quietly asked the enthusiastic young man next to us. He wasn’t sure. But of course it didn’t escape the Twitterati’s notice either. And Keir did indeed call for the return of the sausages.
From a comms point of view, there’s not much you can do about a slip of the tongue (without seeming to diminish what is clearly a serious subject). So you just have to roll with it. Much like a hotdog on a grill.
The video, if you haven’t seen it is here.
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