Reflections from the Labour Conference 2025

Published 2nd October 2025

For any charity to hold one or more focused events at a party conference is a significant undertaking. There is no doubt that the conference brings a large group of decision-makers and influencers from all sectors together in one place, in most cases, for three days. Anyone who has experience of trying to get the right conversations, at the right time, with the right people, will know just how challenging that can be, so, for that reason alone, conference must be viewed as an opportunity.

There is a not insubstantial cost to be considered. Labour this year raised its prices by a sizable percentage, but then it’s always more expensive to attend the party currently in power. On top of that, there is travel, delegate refreshments and an inevitable overnight hotel stay at ‘Conference’ rates.

Weighed against all the negatives, you want your charity and its cause and mission to be seen and heard, and this is a perfect opportunity to achieve all the above while simultaneously connecting with people on aligned journeys.

As I type this, returning on a standing room only train, I am left thinking the day was hectic (not helped by the ‘no case’ policy which saw me run around Liverpool desperately searching for somewhere that would take my bag for a few hours), stressful at times but ultimately, it’s just one of those things that has to be done, and if you are going to do it, you may as well do it well.

There is a general vibe of positivity around the subject at the moment. All conference delegates who turned up for our session contributed so well to the discussion, and there are definite “follow-up” conversations to be had. There is a sense that I am picking up that the Curriculum and Assessment Review recommendations, which are imminent, will mark the start of a positive set of actions around the subject, rather than the end of a journey.

Tony Ryan - D&T Association CEO