This year, More in Common has a full programme of autumn party conference events at both the Labour and Conservatives autumn party conferences.
Our programme of eight events this year covers a wide range of themes, topics and debates:
- At both the Labour and Conservative Conferences, we’ll be using fresh and exclusive polling and focus group research to explore both parties’ respective voter coalition in the lead up to the next election - through the lens of the British Seven segments.
- We’ll also be exploring and debating future approaches to refugee welcome at both party conferences.
- At the Conservative Party Conference, we’ll be examining the appeal and pitfalls of a Conservative strategy on the ‘war on woke’ and whether the Tories see a future in levelling up.
- At the Labour Party Conference, we’ll be launching our new polling and focus group research with UCL Policy Lab on the potential for Labour to embrace a ‘new politics of respect’, and considering what interventions the public would support to build a healthier Britain.
Special thanks to our partners at UCL Policy Lab, Power to Change and Impact on Urban Health for their collaboration and partnership with these events.
Conservative Party Conference Events
War on woke - is it popular and is it Conservative? Monday 2nd October 2023, 13.00-14.30, Kimpton Clocktower, Clocktower 7
Nat Con or Modernisation 2.0 - where is the Tory voter coalition? Monday 2nd October 2023, 16.00-17.30, Kimpton Clocktower, Clocktower 7
Levelling up: double down or ditch it? Tuesday 3rd October 2023, 10.30-12.00, Hilton Manchester, Deansgate Hotel, Meeting Room 9
A refugee policy that works - what’s next for the Tories and refugees? Tuesday 3rd October 2023, 14.30-16.00, Hilton Manchester, Deansgate Hotel, Meeting Room 9
Labour Party Conference Events
Institutions in crisis: Can a politics of respect restore faith in politics and Britain’s institutions? Monday 9th October 2023, 13:15-14:30, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Princes Suite 3
Playing it safe or missing the moment – how the 2024 Labour coalition is shaping up Monday 9th October 2023 - 16.30-18.00, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Princes Suite 3
How would the public build a healthier Britain? Tuesday 10th October, 09:30am-11am, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Princes Suite 3
Britain Welcomes - what’s next for refugee welcome in the UK? Tuesday 10th October 2023, 12.00-1.00, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Princes Suite 3
*Please note these are the updated conferences times for the Labour Party Conference. They have been changed since the original times put in the Labour Conference Guide.
Read more about our events and panellists below
Conservative Party Conference Events
So-called “culture war debates” have dominated the last Parliament on everything from diversity targets to trans and gender identity, cancel culture to critical race theory in universities. But what do the public think about the ‘war on woke’ - is it popular and is it conservative? This panel will explore More in Common’s polling and focus group insights on these issues, debate the merits and costs of the ‘war on woke’ and explore how politics and our national institutions can better manage these debates.
The 2019 election seemed to herald a realignment that would transform the Tory voter Coalition into one rooted in the working class Red Wall. But fast forward to 2023 and it looks like it’s back to the future with more traditional economic Conservatives more likely to embrace the party under Rishi Sunak’s leadership. So which way should the party turn? Using More in Common seven segments and exclusive polling and focus group research, this panel will discuss how the Conservatives might assemble a new voter coalition in the lead up to and following the next General election.
The Conservatives were elected on a promise to level up the country and devolve power to communities across the country and there is no doubt that the agenda was popular - but with Boris Johnson having departed the stage and Levelling up absent from the Prime Minister’s five pledges, what does the future hold for it? And how should the policy feature in the next manifesto? This panel will discuss fresh research from More in Common and Power to Change exploring whether the public and communities across the country see a future for Levelling up, what they want from it, what role communities see for themselves in it, and how the agenda might better respond to those asks.
The last Parliament has been one of contrasts when it comes to Britain’s refugee policy - from the success and broad public embrace of the Homes for Ukraine scheme to the start-stop nature of the Rwanda plan. This panel will explore More in Common and UCL Policy Lab’s latest research into how what we’ve learned from the successes and failures of the last parliament when it comes to refugees, and where the Tories might go next in building a refugee policy that works for Britain and meets the public’s expectations of compassion and control.
Labour Party Conference Events
The next election risks being dominated by hopelessness. Not only do the public think our political system and public services are broken, they’ve also lost faith in the people running the show to sort things out. This panel will discuss new research from More in Common and the UCL Policy Lab on how our local and national institutions can win back the trust of the public, and the potential for an agenda rooted in respect for those whose contribution is often overlooked and ignored to help Labour restore people’s confidence in the state.
Is Labour’s ‘ming vase’ strategy the right one or does it risk playing it too safe leaving voters feeling Labour won’t do anything differently? This panel will explore More in Common’s latest polling and focus group research to understand the key groups of voters who will determine Labour’s path to power and what they want to hear from the party.
Building a healthier Britain will require more than simply getting waiting lists under control and will demand a step change in our public health approach. This panel discussion will use exclusive focus group research by More in Common to explore where the public stand on public health and whether more freedom, nudging or regulation are the answers.
Over the last Parliament, we’ve seen major support for welcoming refugees from Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Ukraine, contrasted with widespread frustration with small boat crossings. This panel discussion will explore what we’ve learnt and what’s needed to do to build an approach to refugee welcome that commands public support.