Party Conferences 2017

Conservative Party Conference 2017

Photos from the Conference 

 

Getting fair and decent jobs

Sunday 1st October 2017

12:45-14:00 | Midland Hotel, Chester Suite

The Rt Hon Rob Halfon MP, Chair, Education Select Committee 
Professor Paul Gregg, Professor of Economic & Social Policy, University of Bath
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, TUC
Ayesha Hazarika MBE, Comedian and Columnist, London Evening Standard (Chair) 

 


 

Cleaning up the air we breathe

Sunday 1st October 2017

15:00-16:15 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1

Andrew Selous MP, Member, Health Select Committee 
Cllr Sean Anstree, Leader, Trafford Council 
Sam Hall, Senior Research Fellow, Bright Blue
Alison Cook
, Policy & Communications Director, British Lung Foundation
Simon Alcock, Head of UK Public Affairs, ClientEarth 
Jess Shankleman, Business Journalist, Bloomberg (Chair) 

 


 

From 'burning injustice' to social justice

Sunday 1st October 2017

15:45-17:15 | Manchester Central, Exchange 6-7

Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion
David Cohen, Campaigns Editor, London Evening Standard
Ferdinand Mount
, Former Head, Number 10 Policy Unit 
Dr Faiza Shaheen
, Director, CLASS 
Alison Garnham
, Director, Child Poverty Action Group
Matthew d’Ancona, Chair, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Britain’s place in the world after Brexit 

Sunday 1st October 2017

17:45-19:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Minister of State for International Trade 
Sir Lockwood Smith, former High Commissioner of New Zealand  
Jonathan Freedland
, Columnist, The Guardian 
Dan Hannan MEP 
Sue Edwards, Spokesperson, Destination for Education
Laura Round, Communications Manager, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Green and pleasant land? The countryside after Brexit

Sunday 1st October 2017

17:45-19:00 | Manchester Central, Exchange 2-3

Thérèse Coffey MP, Minister for the Environment 
Professor Ian Bateman, Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Exeter
Ross Murray, President, Country Land and Business Association 
Rebecca Speight, Chief Executive, Woodland Trust 
Sam Hall, Senior Research Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

 


 

Creating the great meritocracy 

Sunday 1st October 2017

19:45-21:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

Damian Hinds MP, Minister of State for Employment 
The Rt Hon Lord Willetts, Chair, Resolution Foundation 
Jonn Elledge
, Editor, CityMetric
Barry Matthews, Board Member, Solicitors Regulation Authority 
Diane Banks, Non-exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

 


 

The new Giant Evil? Tackling loneliness in modern Britain

Sunday 1st October 2017

19:45-21:00 | Manchester Central, Central 6

Dr Phillip Lee MP, Minister for Justice
Paul McGarry, Head, Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, Manchester City Council
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue 
Angela Kitching, Head of External Affairs, Age UK 
Asa Bennett
, Political Columnist, The Telegraph (Chair) 

 


 

Drink Tank

Sunday 1st October 2017

21:30-23:00 | Midland Hotel, Stanley Suite 

The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health
Laura Round, Communications Manager, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Opening the doors and breaking the glass: women in work

Monday 2nd October 2017

8:30-10:00 | This event is by invitation only 

The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Chair, Treasury Select Committee 
Samantha Smethers
, Chief Executive, The Fawcett Society
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)  

 


 

Private renting: a tenure of choice?

Monday 2nd October 2017

8:30-10:00 | This event is by invitation only 

Alok Sharma MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning 
James Murray
, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing 
Rafael Behr
, Columnist, The Guardian 
Alexandra Jezeph, Non-exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair)  

 


 

Turning the blue agenda green

Monday 2nd October 2017

10:30-12:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Lord Mayor's Parlour 

Richard Harrington MP, Minister for Energy and Industry 
Maurice Golden MSP
, Spokesperson for the Low Carbon Economy, Scottish Conservatives 
Gareth Redmond-King
, Head of Climate and Energy, WWF-UK 
Sarah Kostense-Winterton
, Executive Director, MIMA
Sam Hall, Senior Research Fellow, Bright Blue 
Hugo Rifkind, Columnist, The Times (Chair) 

 


 

Solutions for social care

Monday 2nd October 2017

12:45-14:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

James Morris MP, PPS to the First Secretary of State (invited)
Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE, Leader, Warwickshire County Council
Richard Humphries, Senior Fellow, The King's Fund  
Alice Thomson, Columnist, The Times
Dame Clare Tickell, Chief Executive, Hanover Housing
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)  

 


 

Getting the talent we need

Monday 2nd October 2017

12:45-14:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Lord Mayor's Parlour 

Rory Stewart MP, Minister of State at the Foreign Office 
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, TUC
Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics, King’s College London
Séamus Nevin, Head of Policy Research, Institute of Directors 
Margaret Burton
, Partner, Ernst & Young  
Matthew d’Ancona, Chair, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Building 'The great meritocracy' in a modern economy 

Monday 2nd October 2017

15:00-16:15 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1

Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion 
Philip Collins
, Columnist, The Times 
Lizzie Crowley
, Skills Policy Adviser, CIPD 
Rory Sutherland, Wiki Man, The Spectator 
Nick Owen
, Chair, Deloitte UK
Kate Maltby, Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

 


 

How to attract younger voters

Monday 2nd October 2017

15:00-16:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Lord Mayor's Parlour 

Sam Gyimah MP, Minister for Prisons and Probation
The Rt Hon Lord Willetts, Executive Chair, Resolution Foundation 
Sonia Sodha
, Chief Leader Writer, The Observer 
Laura Round, Communications Manager, Bright Blue 
Michael Lynas, Chief Executive, National Citizen Service
Matt Chorley, Editor of Red Box, The Times (Chair) 

 


 

The consumer is king: making markets work better 

Monday 2nd October 2017

16:00-17:15 | Manchester Central, Exchange 6-7  

George Freeman MP, Chair, Conservative Policy Forum 
Helia Ebrahimi, Business Correspondent, Channel 4 News 
Mark Littlewood, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs 
Richard Neudegg, Head of Regulation, uSwitch 
Lewis Shand-Smith, former Chair, Ombudsman Services 
Sam Hall, Senior Research Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

  


 

What should the immigration system look like after Brexit?

Monday 2nd October 2017

17:45-19:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1

The Rt Hon Anna Soubry MP
David Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration and Integration, Policy Exchange 
Professor Robert Ford
, Professor of Political Science, University of Manchester 
Julia Onslow-Cole
, Global Head of Immigration, PricewaterhouseCoopers  
James Dobson, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Left behind no longer: achieving social justice in Britain 

Monday 2nd October 2017

19:45-21:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1

Chris Skidmore MP, Minister at the Cabinet Office 
Polly Toynbee
, Columnist, The Guardian
Christian Guy
, Former Policy Adviser, Number 10 Downing Street
Dr Jo Casebourne
, Chief Executive, Early Intervention Foundation
Chris Sherwood
, Chief Executive, Relate
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

 


 

Is the future of energy smart and flexible?

Monday 2nd October 2017

19:45-21:00 | Manchester Central, Exchange 8   

Claire Perry MP, Minister of State for Climate Change & Industry 
Laura Sandys
, Former Chair, European Movement UK  
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE
, Chief Executive, Renewable Energy Association 
Ben Caldecott
, Senior Associate Fellow, Bright Blue 
Louis Shaffer
, Renewable Energy Segment Manager, Eaton 
Nathalie Thomas, Energy Correspondent, The Financial Times (Chair) 

 


 

Start-up Britain

Monday 2nd October 2017

21:30-23:00 | This event is by invitation only 

The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Chief Secretary to HM Treasury  
Alexandra Frean
, Business Columnist, The Times 
Stephen Kelly
, Chief Executive, Sage Group 
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

The future of electricity after coal 

Monday 2nd October 2017

21:30-23:00 | This event is by invitation only 

Rebecca Pow MP, PPS to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
Alex Kazaglis, Head of Energy and Industry Practice, Vivid Economics 
Ben Caldecott, Senior Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Homes for older people 

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

08:30-10:00 | This event is by invitation only 

The Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell, Former Secretary of State for Health 
Eamonn Boylann
, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Combined Authority 
Dame Clare Tickell DBE
, Chief Executive, Hanover Housing Association
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

A country that works for everyone: achieving fairness for disabled people 

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

10:30-12:00 | This event is by invitation only 

Penny Mordaunt MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work 
Ian Birrell, Contributing Editor, The Mail on Sunday 
Anna Bird, Executive Director of Policy and Research, Scope
Ryan Shorthouse Director, Bright Blue (Chair)  

 


 

Up-skilling Britain: homegrown technical talent

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

10:30-11:45 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

Gillian Keegan MP, Member, Public Accounts Committee 
Nigel Milton, Director of Communications, Heathrow Airport 
Joshua Hardie, Deputy Director-General, CBI 
Heather Stewart, Political Editor, The Guardian 
Dr Alison Birkinshaw, President, Association of Colleges 
Diane Banks, Non-exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Learning from Grenfell: social housing in modern Britain

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

12:45-14:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

Shaun Bailey AM, Deputy Chairman of the Regeneration Committee, London Assembly  
Cllr Sean Anstee
, Leader, Trafford Council 
Emma Maier
, Editor, Inside Housing  
David Orr
, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation
Rachel Johnson, Non-exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Powering the industrial strategy

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

15:00-16:15 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy  
John Penrose MP  
Richard Nourse
, Managing Partner, Greencoat Capital
Jillian Ambrose
, Business Reporter, The Daily Telegraph
Paul Bircham
, Director, Electricity North West 
Sam Hall, Senior Research Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

 


 

Closing the attainment gap

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

15:45-17:15 | Manchester Central, Exchange 8  

The Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister for School Standards
Mary Bousted
, Joint General Secretary, National Education Union 
Russell Hobby, Chief Executive, Teach First 
Ryan Shorthouse
, Director, Bright Blue 
Andy Ratcliffe
, Chief Executive, Impetus-PEF
Randeep Ramesh, Chief Leader Writer, The Guardian (Chair) 

 


 

An invitation to international students 

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

17:45-19:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 1 

Luke Graham MP, Member, Public Accounts Committee 
Sir David Warren KCMG, Former British Ambassador to Japan and Chair of the Council, University of Kent 
Shakira Martin, President, National Union of Students 
James Dobson, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue 
Julia Onslow-Cole, Global Head of Immigration, PricewaterhouseCoopers 
Rosemary Bennett, Education Editor, The Times (Chair) 

 


 

Getting the best deal for jobs: the future relationship of the UK with the EU

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

17:45-19:00 | Manchester Town Hall, Committee Room 3 

The Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP, Member, Exiting the European Union Select Committee
Frances Coppola, Columnist, The Financial Times 
Liam Halligan, Columnist, The Daily Telegraph 
Vicky Pryce, Former Head, UK Government Economics Service
Kevin Green, Chief Executive, Recruitment & Employment Confederation 
Rachel Johnson, Non-Exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Top of the class: attracting and retaining excellent teachers

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

19:45-21:00 | Midland Hotel, Alexandra Suite 

Lord Lucas, Editor, Good Schools Guide 
Professor Alan Smithers
, Director of Centre for Education and Employment Research, University of Buckingham 
Siân Griffiths
, Education Editor, The Sunday Times 
Steve 
Mastin, Chair, Conservative Education Society 
Rupert Myers, Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Looking after mum and dad? Preparing for an ageing society

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

19:45-21:00 | Manchester Central, Central 6 

Baroness Camilla Cavendish, Former Director, Number 10 Policy Unit
The Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester 
Jo Maugham QC, Barrister, Devereux Chambers
David Sinclair
, Director, International Longevity Centre 
Joel Charles
, Deputy Chief Executive, Future Care Capital  
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

 


 

Journeying to an inclusive world of work  

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

21:30-23:00 | This event is by invitation only 

Rachel MacLean MP, Member, BEIS Select Committee
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair) 

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