Party time: What to expect from party conferences this year

As autumn approaches, attention is increasingly turning to conference season. In a fragmented electoral landscape, each of the parties will be looking to establish a sense of momentum. For Labour, that will include defending its first year in government and its vision for the next four, while others will want to establish themselves as the ‘real opposition’ in Westminster.

For many organisations, there is a growing question of which conferences they need to attend. Reform’s emergence as an increasingly powerful political force means they will receive much more attention than they did even a year ago. As Bloomberg reports, each of the ‘big five’ business lobby groups will attend Reform’s conference, with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) saying it will ‘treat its conference the same as any other major political party’s’.

With the traditional parties grappling with how they can best respond to emerging ones, here’s what to expect from the major conferences this season.

Reform UK – Birmingham, 5–6 September

Reform will run a shorter, smaller conference than the other parties. It will be closely watched nonetheless, giving Nigel Farage a significant platform to discuss immigration control, tax cuts, and his opposition to net zero. He will again aim to position himself as the only real alternative to Labour. As the party continues to rise in the polls, questions remain about the nature of its upcoming conference: will it resemble an extended rally, echoing the energetic gatherings of recent times, or will the party pivot toward a more traditional format of fringe meetings, roundtables and policy dialogues as it seeks to establish itself as the true Opposition and even a Government in waiting.

Liberal Democrats – Bournemouth, 20–23 September

The Liberal Democrats will convene in Bournemouth, aiming to solidify their hold over former Tory heartlands and the south west. The cost of living, social care reform and the environment are all themes that have played well in the past and will likely get an encore. The party’s democratic structure means motions passed here could become official policy, giving the conference real weight in shaping future campaigns.

Labour Party Conference – Liverpool, 28 September – 1 October

Following a series of major policy announcements, including the 10-Year Health Plan, an Industrial Strategy and the Spending Review, Labour will look to tie these together into a coherent programme for government, and set out how it will implement its policies. Expect a focus on economic growth, public service reform, and green investment. Inevitably, a lot of energy will be devoted to Budget speculation, given the UK’s tight fiscal position and expectations that further tax rises are needed.

Green Party – Bournemouth, 3–5 October

By October, the Green Party either have a new leader in Zack Polanski, or a new Co-Leader with Adrian Ramsey in Ellie Chowns. Whoever wins, they will lead a party that is polling consistently at 10% and that put in a strong performance at the local elections. Climate and social justice will be prominent issues, as will the party’s response to the new left party started by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn.

Conservative Party Conference – Manchester, 5–8 October

Kemi Badenoch will look to reassert her authority over a party that has grown increasingly restless and concerned at being outflanked by Reform. She will also look to press Labour bruises on tax and immigration, so these two issues are likely to be high on the agenda throughout conference. In the fringes, discussions on supporting business, economic competitiveness and UK attractiveness to investors will likely dominate.

Scottish National Party (SNP) – Aberdeen, 11–13 October

Much of the SNP conference will be devoted to the Scottish Parliament elections in 2026, where the party will be seeking a fifth consecutive term in government. Energy policy, and in particular the North Sea oil transition, as well as the performance of Scottish public services are likely to be critical issues in the election and so will feature strongly here. Following the departure of high-profile figures such as Mhairi Black and Kate Forbes, the party will be eager to demonstrate how it plans to refresh its image and crucially its agenda, as it seeks an unprecedented fifth term in office.

As ever, party conferences offer an opportunity to build relationships with key decision-makers and influence thinking. If you need support planning conference activity, or would like to meet a member of the team at conference, get in touch at: publicaffairs@luther.co.uk