TBI at Party Conferences 2026

27 September, 2pm–2.30pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Join us for a coffee and cookie as we launch our programme of events. Drop in to say hello, meet the team and find out more about TBI’s work, as well as what’s coming up over the course of the conference.

27 September, 2.30pm–3.15pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Diana Johnson MP, Vincent Sai, Dr Niti Pall, Dr Charlotte Refsum (TBI, Chair)

Supported by Modality

This panel will start with a simple provocation: primary care was designed for a different age and needs to be radically rethought. As demand rises and technology transforms what is possible, will tinkering with the existing model of the local GP be enough? Bringing together politicians, health policy experts and those who have served on the front line, this panel asks what primary care must become if it’s to serve British citizens in the 21st century.

27 September, 3.30pm–4.15pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Patrick Maguire (Chair), Lord Maurice Glasman, Ryan Wain (TBI), Frances Foley

As Labour heads into a defining Party Conference, this panel brings together advocates of three of the most prominent political approaches that are shaping debate within the party today. Panellists will set out their competing visions for Labour’s future, examining where they converge, where they differ and what each means for the party’s direction. The discussion will consider some of the biggest issues facing Labour and the country, including globalisation, technology, education, Europe and immigration.

27 September, 4.20pm – 5.00pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Emily Thornberry MP, Joni Smith (TBI), Josh Glancy (Chair), Ben Judah

For decades the “special relationship” between the UK and the US has been treated as a fact of geopolitical life, yet the world in which it was forged is disappearing. American priorities are shifting, Britain is searching for its post-Brexit role and power is moving towards a more contested, transactional global order. This panel will discuss whether Britain can remain America’s indispensable ally – or risks becoming just another friendly middle power competing for Washington’s attention. Be it defence, intelligence, AI, trade or China, we’ll explore what a genuinely modern partnership could look like, where the countries’ interests are diverging and whether “special” will still mean anything in the decade ahead.

27 September 8.00pm–10.30pm. Invite only.

Pat McFadden MP (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions), Lord Anas Sarwar (Minister of State for Trade), Tom Duff Gordon

Supported by OpenAI

Join the Tony Blair Institute for an evening bringing together political leaders, policymakers and partners. The reception will be an opportunity to connect, exchange ideas and discuss how technology, policy and new approaches to government can help deliver meaningful change. We look forward to welcoming guests for an informal evening of conversation and networking. Supported by OpenAI.

28 September, 8.00am–9.00am. Invite only.

Dan Tomlinson MP (Minister for Growth) and Keegan McBride (TBI)

Supported by Nebius

Co-hosted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and technology firm Nebius, this invite-only breakfast roundtable will bring together senior policymakers, industry leaders and regional voices to explore what the next phase of the UK’s AI infrastructure strategy should look like. Plus: how can it support the government’s wider ambitions for growth in every part of the country?

28 September, 9.45am–10.30am

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Introduced by Tone Langengen (TBI). Hamish Falconer MP (Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations), Alastair Campbell (chair)

A conversation about Britain’s relationship with the EU. Hamish Falconer MP, Minister for Europe, will join Alastair Campbell to explore the political and economic choices shaping that dynamic, Britain’s role and influence on the continent, and how it should navigate its European partnerships as part of a changing geopolitical landscape.

28 September, 11.00am-11.45am

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

George Eaton (Chair), Janet Garcia, Lord Michael Gove, Ryan Wain (TBI)

Supported by PSI

The skills that young people need to succeed are changing fast, with too many leaving education without the qualifications, experience or pathways they need to thrive. Against the backdrop of the Milburn Review and shifting global approaches to education and skills, this panel will identify what the latest trends in attainment and participation tell us about where the UK is falling short. What needs to change to build an education and skills system fit for the future?

28 September, 1.00pm–1.45pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Joni Smith (TBI, Chair), Darren Jones MP, Olivia Bailey MP, Luke Tryl, Tom Baldwin

Seven prime ministers in just over a decade. Political and economic turmoil. Populism. An unfolding revolution in geopolitics and technology. Bringing together first-hand experience of governing and an understanding of the challenges surrounding government, this panel will tackle a lingering question. Is Britain ungovernable? Is the role of prime minister impossible? And if not, how can government deliver meaningful change?

28 September, 2.15pm–3.00pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Introduced by Hossein Nowbar. Wes Streeting MP (Defence Secretary), Lara Spirit (Chair), Ryan Wain (TBI)

Supported by ServiceNow

As Europe confronts a more volatile security environment, political leaders face difficult choices about defence and alliances; UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting discusses how Europe should respond to a changing geopolitical order. On the agenda: what does stronger collective security require and how can democratic values shape foreign and defence policy amid growing strategic competition?

28 September, 3.15pm–4.00pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Bev Craig (Mayor of Greater Manchester), Ed Conway, Jakob Mökander, Joni Smith (Chair, TBI), Emma Reynolds MP (Chief Secretary to the Treasury)

Supported by General Catalyst

Britain’s greatest periods of prosperity were powered by ambitious businesses investing, innovating and taking risks. Those spirits have been dampened – but why? Britain needs them again. Following the Chancellor’s speech, business and political leaders will ask what is holding back the animal spirits in the economy and how – and if – a Labour government can unleash them.

(Conference attendees are welcome to join us in the space beforehand for a live screening of the Chancellor’s speech.)

28 September, 5.15pm–6.00pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Keegan McBride (TBI), Owen Larter, Chris McDonald MP (Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment), Paul Ovenden, Lucy McDaid (Chair)

Supported by Google DeepMind

Can Britain really become an AI superpower – or are we destined to depend on others? As the word “sovereignty” is thrown about, this panel will seek to understand what that truly means in a world increasingly shaped by power, and answer defining questions for Britain’s future: what should we build, where do we build it, who should we partner with, and can the UK turn its strengths in AI into genuine economic and geopolitical power?

28 September, 6.15pm–7.00pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Introduced by Ryan Wain

The Home Secretary sits down with the editor of the New Statesman.

29 September, 8.00am–9.00am. Invite only.

Louise Sandher-Jones MP (Minister for the Armed Forces) and Steve Rotheram (Mayor of Liverpool City Region)

Supported by TECs

Co-hosted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and the North West’s four Technical Excellence Colleges – spanning clean energy, construction, digital and defence – this invite-only roundtable will bring together leaders from industry, skills and policy. It will explore how the colleges can help build the workforce that the North West’s growth industries need, how the model can work at scale and what lessons it could offer for delivering the UK’s wider industrial strategy.

29 September, 10.00am–10.45am

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Emma O’Dwyer, Sarah Gates, Justin Madders MP (Minister for Roads), Mark Betteridge, Joni Smith (Chair, TBI)

Supported by Uber and Wayve

Autonomous vehicles are moving from science fiction to reality. Britain has a chance to lead – but the transition raises big questions about jobs, safety and who benefits. This panel brings government, workers and industry together to debate whether Britain should go all-in on autonomy – and what it would take to make the transition a success.

29 September, 11.45am–12.15pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Introduced by Tom Duff Gordon. Kanishka Narayan MP (Minister for AI) and Ryan Wain (TBI, chair)

Supported by OpenAI

Can AI deliver tangible improvements to people’s everyday lives? This discussion will explore where the technology could make a practical difference across everything from public services to the workplace, how people feel about those changes and what policymakers need to consider as AI becomes an increasingly visible part of daily life.

29 September, 1.15pm–1.50pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

James Frith MP (Minister for Health Innovation), Owen Larter, Lord Michael Gove, Martha Dacombe, Keegan McBride (Chair, TBI)

Supported by Google DeepMind

Britain’s state is too slow, too complex and too expensive. Every election is becoming a referendum on it, and the verdict of the British public is increasingly clear: it does not work for them. Does our politics have the courage to change it? From AI to the politics of getting things done, this panel asks whether ministers are prepared to challenge institutions and radically reshape government to deliver for people – and what will happen if they don’t.

29 September, 3.15pm–4.00pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Scarlett Maguire, Polly Billington MP (Minister for Energy Consumers), Tone Langengen (Chair, TBI), James Earl, Gary Smith

Supported by Future Energy Networks

Energy policy is everything policy. It is cost of living, industrial strategy, jobs, technology and so much more. Can we achieve greater energy security? How do we lower bills and emissions? What role should the North Sea play in Britain’s energy and industrial future? As debate intensifies, this panel will explore the choices and trade-offs – and answer how we power Britain’s economic future.

29 September, 4.00pm–4.45pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Ryan Wain (TBI, Chair), Ailbhe Rea, Jake Richards MP (Minister for Sentencing, Human Rights and Technology), Peter Hyman, Baroness Deborah Mattinson

Join Britain’s leading political minds as they dissect Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first conference leader’s speech. What landed? What didn’t? What was missing and, crucially, what does it tell us about the politics ahead? This rapid-response panel goes beyond the headlines to unpack Burnham’s political strategy, the dividing lines he is drawing and where his government goes next. Drinks will be served.

(Conference attendees are welcome to join us in the space beforehand for a live screening of the leader’s speech.)

29 September, 5.00pm–5.45pm

Hall 2C, Liverpool Experience Campus

Bridget Phillipson MP (Minister for Women and Equalities), Ryan Wain (TBI), Charlie Mayfield, Vicky Spratt (Chair), Alan Milburn

Britain is facing a youth unemployment crisis of historic proportions. The response will be central to the government’s standing in the coming years, touching on every area of government and requiring huge amounts of political capital. This panel will bring together leading voices from the key angles of the discourse to unpack the diagnosis and chart the path forward.

29 September, 6.00pm–6.45pm

Will Hutton (Chair), Liam Byrne MP, Keegan McBride (TBI), Scarlett Maguire, Matt Houlihan

Supported by Cisco

Reindustrialisation is now at the heart of Britain’s economic agenda – but what industry are we actually rebuilding? This panel will tackle that question head on by exploring the forces shaping Britain’s future and what an industrial strategy for the next 50 years looks like. Can Britain create better jobs, stronger regions and a more competitive economy? What will win out: nostalgia or a focus on the future?