“Ensuring the South West’s voice is heard”: Day One at the Labour Party Conference

By Robert Hillier

Hi – I’m Robert Hillier and I’m on my way to the Labour Party conference for Tech South West and the South West Tech sector.

The atmosphere at a Labour Conference when the party is in power is very different to the years of opposition. Packed meetings, more venues, more high-profile guests, and tighter security, for Labour’s first conference as the governing party since 2009.

The opportunity to represent Tech South West is very exciting and I’m fortunate to have gained a pass to the secure zone, which means better access to Ministers and their aides.

Party Conferences remind me of the Edinburgh Festival where you can attend events from early morning till late at night and the best of the action is often found away from the main stage.

My conference starts on Sunday with Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, discussing the role of Pensions in securing growth. Then there’s a session on AI and Health, followed by a Small Business Forum event. Then on to Labour’s Net Zero Mission Explained before the Startup Coalition’s “Building Tech for Everyone” meeting.

The day ends with a reception with Labour’s Mayors – very interesting with the South West’s own devolution discussions continuing.

As always, one is on the lookout to grab a few minutes with a Minister to tell the South West’s tech story and press a “Look South West” prospectus into their hands.

It’s these face to face interactions that make conference worth attending. Not only getting a better understanding of government thinking behind the headlines, but ensuring that the South West’s voice is heard amongst, perhaps, the higher-profile regions.

I’ll be updating you with blogs and videos throughout the three days and hope to bring some exclusive insights on the way.

“Get seen and heard”: Day Two at the Labour Party Conference

“Speed is key”: Day Three at the Labour Party Conference