Blogs

Pierre Shepherd, our Senior Account Manager and Head of Policy and Engagement at the Policy Liaison Group on Sustainable Growth, reflects on this year’s Green Party Conference in Brighton. He explores a party growing in political confidence and electoral ambition, but still wrestling with questions over its strategic direction, policy depth and whether Labour or Reform UK represents its most important political opponent.

Andy Burnham’s first Labour Conference speech as leader offered a clear vision for the country, built around a message of hope. But with the Budget approaching and difficult economic choices ahead, that optimism will soon face the realities of governing. Alfie Owen examines the contrast between Burnham’s vision and John Healey’s more cautious message, and considers what it will take for Labour to turn hope into something tangible.

Lloyd Lewis-Protheroe looks at Andy Burnham’s early months in Downing Street and asks whether his politics of optimism can withstand the harder realities of government. From public spending and taxation to immigration and geopolitical pressures, he explores the challenges now confronting the Prime Minister.

After a few days in Brighton, Gabriella Franklin and Katharine Quigg consider the criticism facing Sir Ed Davey, what the party actually spent its conference talking about and the curious position of the Liberal Democrats in an increasingly fragmented political landscape.

Andy Burnham has had a good summer. Arriving in Downing Street on 20 July, he deployed his well-known communication skills alongside some slim, but meaningful policy announcements to give the Labour Party its first lead in the polls for two years.

In the first of our series of blogs during party conference season, Tom Bromwich reflects on what Reform UK’s conference revealed about a party entering a new phase. With greater elected representation but softer polling, growing scrutiny over party standards and an increasingly detailed policy platform, the conference highlighted both Reform’s ambitions for government and the institutional challenges it still needs to resolve.

As the debate over Rosebank and Jackdaw intensifies, Gabriella explores the difficult trade-offs between energy security, jobs, investment and climate commitments. It looks beyond the political rhetoric to test what each project could realistically deliver for the UK, and what their approval or rejection would mean for the North Sea transition.

With the Sentencing Act nearing full implementation, the government is increasingly turning to electronic monitoring and community sentencing as part of its response to Britain’s prison overcrowding crisis. Aarav Tanguturi examines whether the technology is capable of delivering public safety and what this shift could mean for the private sector.

Our Lead Digital Campaigner, Andrew Credgington explores whether voters are returning to the status quo of the legacy parties or if the spread of votes amongst emerging parties means a coalition is inevitable?