Labour Party Conference 2026 - Day 2 Monday

 

Day Two of Conference started early with a 34-minute run along the Mersey and back. The weather was glorious, with blue skies and sunshine, a welcome contrast to the previous day's soaking.

Conference began at 10am, although we first had an early "huddle" of UNISON Labour Link delegates to agree the late-night decisions on compositing motions and discuss other pressing Conference business.

Once again, Conference appeared to go well. During the lunch break, I joined other Labour Link delegates in supporting a rally on migrant workers' rights. It was encouraging to see strong support for the contribution migrant workers make to our economy, public services and communities.

After the close of business, I met up with Labour Party members from Newham for a drink outside the historic dockers' pub, The Baltic Fleet. I then had to leave for the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum fringe meeting, Are We Ready for Climate Change? Protecting People, Places and Prosperity, held in partnership with the Fabian Society. I will post my speech from the event as a separate page linked to this post later. Many thanks to my fellow panellists and everyone who attended.

Afterwards, I rejoined Newham Labour members for a meal at a Turkish restaurant in Liverpool. I think this is now the third Conference in a row that we've visited it, which perhaps makes it something of a tradition.

Another good day at Conference. The formal debates, fringe meetings and informal conversations all reminded me that Conference is as much about relationships and shared purpose as it is about resolutions and speeches.

Labour Party Conference 2026 - Day 1 Sunday

 

Apologies for the belated posting.

The first full day of conference began for me at 9am with an in-person UNISON Labour Link delegation meeting. At this meeting we agreed our speakers, discussed our positions on motions, and dealt with a range of housekeeping issues. UNISON has one of the largest delegations at Conference, so these meetings are an important part of ensuring that our contribution is coordinated and effective.

Conference itself started at 11am. We were seated as a delegation on the far left of the conference floor facing the podium (no pun intended!).

As is customary, there was a report from the Conference Arrangements Committee, along with a number of reference back requests from delegates who were unhappy with how their motions had been dealt with. Compared with previous conferences, however, proceedings seemed to be relatively straightforward and attracted far less controversy than I have seen in the past.

Labour Party Conference remains, in my view, even more complicated and bewildering than a UNISON conference, and many first-time delegates to UNISON find those challenging enough. Nevertheless, there was a good mix of party business, government and party leadership speeches, and floor debates. Overall, the day appeared to run smoothly. Unlike a trade union conference, Labour Conference combines party democracy, government business, policy development and internal party procedure, making it a unique and sometimes bewildering experience for delegates

What struck me most was the atmosphere. There was definitely a more positive feeling around Conference than there was last year. While there will always be disagreements and procedural arguments, there seemed to be a greater sense of confidence and purpose among delegates.

After the close of business, I attended the Labour-affiliated trade union rally with my Newham CWU comrade and cycling champion, Richard. I then had to leave early for a walk along the Mersey to attend a private event with fellow Labour housing leads, getting thoroughly soaked in the process thanks to the Liverpool weather. As someone born and brought up not far away in North East Wales this should have come as no surprise but I had still forgotten to take an umbrella. 

My final event of the day was the Labour Friends of Bangladesh dinner, one of my favourite Conference events. Although I arrived rather late, it was still a pleasure to attend.

All in all, it was a good start to Conference.