Seahorse Environmental’s Guide to Conservative Party Conference
With the autumn conference season now well underway, next is the Conservative Party’s turn in Manchester. Taking place on 1-4 October, the agenda is full to the brim with environment-related events. The run-up to the next general election is likely to see wedge issues such as new oil and gas investment and water pollution become increasingly influential. In the wake of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcements last week about the watering-down of certain green policies, conference this year is certain to be an opportunity for heated discussion and debate.
With the events kicking off on Sunday, Seahorse has pulled together our go-to green guide for the 2023 Conservative Party Conference. The full agenda for the conference can be found here.
Seahorse will be attending the Conservative Party conference this year, so if you’re attending and would like to chat, please get in touch with Lizzy Roberts at lroberts@seahorseenvironmental.co.uk.
Sunday 1st October
12:00-13:00: Conference kicks off with an event hosted by the Conservative Environment Network (CEN), in partnership with RWE, on ‘Wind and solar: energy saviours or a blight on our communities?’ This discussion will look at the impact of wind and solar projects on local communities, the opportunities for improved engagement, and potential reforms to the planning system.
Speakers: Lynsey Jones (CEN); Vicky Ford MP; Tom Bradshaw (Deputy President, National Farmers Union); Lee Rowley MP (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities).
Venue: Central 3-4, Manchester Central Convention Complex (MCCC) – all CEN events will take place here.
15:00: Next up is ConservativeHome’s event, sponsored by National House Building Council, on ‘Breaking barriers: How can we unlock the UK’s housing potential and deliver sustainable homes?’ The panellists will discuss how the housing sector can address the urgent need to deliver more homes in a sustainable way.
Speakers: Rachel Maclean MP (Minister for Housing); Lewis Sidnick (Director of Corporate Affairs, NHBC); Jennifer Daly (Chief Executive, Taylor Wimpey); Brian Berry (Chief Executive, Federation of Master Builders); Henry Hill (Deputy Editor, ConservativeHome (Chair)).
Venue: ConservativeHome Marquee, MCCC.
16:30-18:00: Another event from CEN – this time on nature – with partners National Trust, RSPB, and WWF all asking: ‘How can we restore nature to these once Wild Isles?’ Sir David Attenborough’s new BBC series, which hit screens earlier this year, demonstrated both the beauty of our Wild Isles and the devastating impact of human-driven geological changes. This panel will focus on how to restore these treasured landscapes.
Speakers: Thérèse Coffey (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs); Theresa Villiers MP; Hilary McGrady (Director General, National Trust); Cllr Joe Porter; Aisling McGarrigle (Blue Marine Foundation); Sam Hall (CEN).
Venue: Central 3-4, MCCC.
17:30-18:30: Wrapping up for the afternoon will be the National Oceanography Centre’s Ocean Question Time: ‘Turning the Tide on Climate Change’.
Speakers: Sally-Ann Hart MP (Chair of the APPG for the Ocean); Professor Doug Connelly (The National Oceanography Centre); Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs); Chris Shirling-Rooke (CEO – Maritime UK).
Venue: Edwardian Manchester Hotel, meeting rooms 15&16.
Monday 2nd October
11:00: The second day of conference will start with a Morning Session at the Main Stage of Exchange Hall, with speakers including the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Claire Coutinho. This will be followed by the Afternoon Session – starting at 14:00 – featuring the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Thérèse Coffey, among others.
15:30-17:00: If you’re looking for an energy-focused event, IPPR and Siemens Energy will be discussing ‘Supercharging the clean energy transition’. The panel features a broad variety of speakers, from thinktanks to politicians to journalists – all looking at the future energy system.
Speakers: Dr George Dibb (Head of the Centre for Economic Justice – Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)); Alexander Stafford MP (Rother Valley); Steve Scrimshaw (Energy/Utilities/Natural Resources – Siemens Energy); Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP (Kingswood); Rachel Millard (Journalist – The Telegraph).
Venue: Lancaster Suite, Midland Hotel.
17:00-18:00: the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and CHEM Trust’s event ‘Beyond sewage: the invisible threat of chemical pollution in UK waters’ is sure to be of interest to many. With water pollution such a pertinent and divisive issue in politics, these speakers will examine the solutions for removing these chemical pollutants and restoring the health of the UK’s rivers.
Speakers: Alistair Boxall (Professor of Environmental Science at York University); Sarah Jackson (Professional Windsurfer and twice Vice-World Champion) and Selaine Saxby MP (North Devon).
Venue: Board room, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
19:00: The evening agenda begins with CEN’s ‘conservative environmental leadership reception’, in partnership with Orsted. Speakers include CEN’s Sam Hall and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street.
Venue: Central 3-4, MCCC.
23:00-00:00: For the night owls, there is the Ocean Reception to celebrate the Blue Belt Programme – hosted by Conservative Friends of the Ocean with the Great Blue Ocean Coalition. Established in 2016, the Blue Belt has since protected a staggering 4.3 million sq km of ocean across the UK Overseas Territories – with more yet to come!
Venue: Lancaster, Midland Hotel.
Tuesday 3rd October
09:00-10:30: The final full day of conference starts with a breakfast panel from The Nature Conservancy on ‘Accelerating the Renewable Energy Rollout while Delivering for Nature and Communities’. Convening leaders from business, policy, and civil society, this panel will evaluate how the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change can be addressed together – delivering clean energy while protecting and restoring nature.
Speakers: Sam Hall (Director – Conservative Environment Network); Rebecca Humphries (The Nature Conservancy), Shane O’Connor (Energy Transitions Commission), Alexander Gray (Head of Public Affairs – Energy UK).
Venue: Room 19-20, Edwardian Manchester Hotel.
17:00-18:00: Following the Prime Minister’s net zero announcement last week, this event is set to be an interesting discussion with CEN and Uplift discussing ‘Licence to drill: has North Sea oil and gas had its day?’ The panellists will debate the future of the North Sea oil and gas sector, and what role it has to play in the energy transition.
Speakers: Peter Aldous MP; Tessa Khan (Founder and Executive Director, Uplift); Charles Hendry (Former Energy Minister); Sam Payne (CEN).
Venue: Central 3-4, MCCC.
18:30-19:30: Another CEN event to follow – this one sponsored by We Are Cycling UK – which will ask the key question: ‘Do votes grow on trees? The environment at the next general election’. As we approach the general election, politicians are sure to be evaluating the political attractiveness of environmental issues as potential vote winners. With Labour pledging to turn the UK into a clean energy superpower, where should the Conservatives stand on these issues?
Speakers: Sam Hall (CEN); Sarah Mitchell (CEO of Cycling UK); Sam Richards (CEO of Britain Remade).
Venue: Central 3-4, MCCC.
20:30-22:00: The green drinks reception will bring Tuesday’s evening festivities to a close. Hosted by Green Alliance, the National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, The Nature Conservancy, and WWF, this is not one to miss for those keen to discuss prominent environmental issues.
Speakers: Shaun Spiers (Executive director, Green Alliance); Claire Coutinho (Secretary of State for Energy and Net-Zero), Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs); Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP (Kingswood and Chair of the Environmental APPG); Rebecca Smith (PPC for South West Devon).
Venue: Midland Hotel, Stanley Suite.
Wednesday 4th October
11:15: The conference will be wrapped up with a Morning Session in Exchange Hall, culminating in a speech from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. We expect to hear the Prime Minister rally members around key issues to campaign on in the run-up to the general election – with various environmental concerns likely to form a significant part of the political agenda. With criticism from the environment sector mounting after last week’s announcements, the Prime Minster’s speech will certainly be one to watch.