This year, our Policy and Government Affairs team have been on the ground at major party conferences, engaging on behalf of our members in the evolving political landscape.
Labour Party Conference
Labour’s party conference in Liverpool was well-attended, if a little more subdued following the party’s first full year in power. The fringe events we attended on topics including AI, access to the arts, and public health all had an overwhelming focus on unlocking and driving economic growth, reflecting the Government’s core priority for this Parliament.
This theme was, unsurprisingly, also the focus of the Chancellor’s remarks when she spoke to the CBI business reception that we sponsored on the Monday afternoon. In conversation with Chris O’Shea of Centrica she spoke about her ambitions to deliver fair growth across the country and the Government’s focus of getting more young people into education or paid employment.
The Chancellor also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working with industry to attract more investment to cities and regions outside of London in response to a question from our Public and External Affairs Director, Chris Walker.
Conservative Party Conference
The Conservative conference in Manchester demonstrated an ambition from the Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, to revive the fortunes of her party, which is now polling fourth in some polls behind the Liberal Democrats.
In a clear attempt to counter the rise of Reform, the Conservatives emphasised fiscal responsibility and economic credentials during keynote speeches by members of the Shadow Cabinet. We look forward to engaging with Kemi Badenoch and her leadership team on how the economic contribution of the UK ad industry, which supports UK businesses to the value of £66.6bn, can play a key role in creating a strong economy.
Our final 2025 conference event, a Business Reception with the CBI, saw Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith MP speak alongside CBI Director of Policy, John Foster. Andrew reiterated a commitment by the Conservative Party to pro-enterprise policy to support firms of all sizes and sectors. Our Policy & Government Affairs Senior Manager, Will Lane, attended the conference and engaged with parliamentarians and AA members who also attended.
Other party conferences
Away from the two main parties, we continue our engagement with the Liberal Democrats, SNP, and Reform UK including attending the first day of the latter’s party conference.
