Monday 6 October
Britons and Blasphemy - Defending Free Speech in a Changing Britain
Can the government balance addressing prejudice against religious people and safeguarding the rights of those who want to challenge religion? This panel will examine the risk of blasphemy laws returning, the government’s ability to protect those who speak out, and the Khan and Walney Reviews.
Climate Crossroads: What’s next for the Conservatives on Net Zero and Nature
As the Conservatives shape their climate and nature priorities, what are the political stakes ahead of the next election? Using insights from More in Common, this session will explore whether a reset on climate is a risk or opportunity, how to build on past achievements like COP26, coal phase-out, and the Environment and Agriculture Acts, and win back voters’ trust.
Conservative Thinking at the Crossroads: Where Next for the Right?
After 14 years in office and faced with pressure across the political spectrum, the Conservatives attempts to rebuild depend in part on where the battle for Conservative ideas goes next and what are their potential voters likely to make of it? There are many potential causes that the Tories are urged to adopt as their own - from YIMBYism and crushing crime to looking for growth and more fiscally Conservative economics - this panel will debate the implications of where the Conservatives might turn next.
This Place Matters: Social Cohesion for a New Age
Social cohesion has risen up the political agenda as leaders across society think through the fallout from the 2024 riots, rising concern about immigration, the long-tail of the pandemic and the loss and decline of associational life. Drawing on insights from More in Common and UCL Policy Lab, this panel will debate what the Conservative programme for social cohesion might look like and what it will take to repair Britain’s social fabric.
Tuesday 7 October
A Conservative Roadmap for restoring British leadership on the world stage
As Britons become increasingly concerned by the impact of challenges abroad here at home, what does the Conservative roadmap for British leadership on the world stage look like? Drawing on insights from More in Common’s public opinion research, this panel will discuss what the Tories can do to better respond to their voters’ expectations on leadership on the world stage and debate what a new Conservative foreign policy vision looks like heading into the 2030s.
10:00 to 11:00
Economic Reset: The Future of Conservative Economics
The Conservative Party have talked about the need for a post-Covid reset for the way we think about and structure Britain’s economy - including living within our means, smarter welfare and simpler tax rules, and clearer expectations for what the government should and shouldn’t do. Using insights More in Common and the UCL Policy Lab, the panel will debate what that economic reset might mean for the future of Conservative economics and what are voters likely to make of it?
A new future for universities: how can we ensure universities support British success and build local pride?
Universities are engines of innovation and teaching – yet they should also play a crucial role in national life and local pride. Join leading voices, including MPs, civil society, and researchers, to explore the latest polling and analysis from UCL and More in Common on the future of universities and their role in national success and local pride.
13:00 to 14:00
A Reset on Immigration: Can Conservatives regain public trust?
A core challenge to any Conservative electoral recovery is regaining the public’s trust on immigration - both on stopping the boats and controlling overall levels of immigration. Drawing on More in Common’s polling and focus group research, this panel will debate whether the Conservatives can regain public trust and confidence on managing immigration effectively and discuss what a new Conservative approach to immigration might look like?
16:00 to 17:00
Rebuilding the Coalition: A Tory Reset
As the Conservatives look to move to the next phase of their recovery from the 2024 defeat, we’ll pour over new opinion poll data and what it says about which way the party should turn, how it can rebuild a winning coalition, and what it will take to cut through, join Luke Tryl, senior politicians and journalists to discuss how the party can find its path back.
18:00 to 19:30