Dear John,

This weekend marks the Labour party’s first conference in power in fifteen years. Members of the Open Britain team and many of our colleagues in the democracy sector will be there to fight for a fairer and more functional politics.

After his rocky start with the public and in the media this summer, Keir Starmer will define his government with his keynote speech on Tuesday. He’s expected to frame Labour as a “reckoning for populism ([link removed]) ,” with a resounding message about lasting change from the chaos of the previous government – and the violent rhetoric of other populists like Nigel Farage.

The question is will the Prime Minister put his money where his mouth is? Will he address lobbying and dark money, pervasive disinformation campaigns, or the dysfunction of First-Past-The-Post? Lip-service is one thing, taking bold action is another – and time is running out for him to act. We’ll be paying close attention.

In addition to the PM’s speech and many potentially thorny membership motions on party policy, there’s a number of important events to look out for.

Here’s three events in particular to keep an eye out for:

1. Labour for a New Democracy’s Sunday PR Discussion

Labour for a New Democracy (L4ND) is hosting a panel on the dire need for proportional representation, with an eye on how it could benefit the party by making Starmer’s “change” stick. Under FPTP, there’s a good chance all Labour’s work simply gets overturned if the political pendulum swings back to the right in 2029.

Chaired by Anna Dixon MP, with speakers: Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, L4ND’s Caroline Osborne, and Professor Rob Ford.

Sunday, 22 September at 17:00, Hall 2D, ACC Liverpool

Find out more here. ([link removed])
2. Politics Social’s Fringe Event on the Future EU-UK Relationship

A crucial and engaging discussion about the elephant in the room – Brexit – and the future of the UK relationship with our European neighbours.

Speakers include the European Movement’s Mike Galsworthy, Politics Social’s Graham Hughes, National Rejoin March founder Peter Corr, and political activist Femi Oluwole.

Monday, 23 September, 19:30 at the at the Ship & Mitre

Find out more here. ([link removed])
3. Institute for Government Panels on Trust in Politics and PPE Procurement

The Institute for Government, alongside anti-corruption campaigners at Transparency International, will be running two panels, one about procurement and corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, and another about restoring trust in politics (featuring Commons leader Lucy Powell).

Procurement: Monday, 23 September, 10:30-11:30AM, ACC Liverpool

Trust in Politics / Standards in Public Life: Monday, 23 September, 17:30-18:30, ACC Liverpool

Find out more here. ([link removed])

There’s no doubt that this will be an interesting Labour Conference. For us at Open Britain, this weekend presents a golden opportunity to push Labour towards the real “tough decisions” it needs to make: Rolling up their sleeves and doing the hard work of protecting our democracy before it’s too late.

All the best,

The Open Britain Team
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