Newington’s Camilla Eason looks ahead to the upcoming Party Conferences.

Parliament has returned from Summer Recess, which means Party Conference season is fast approaching. With internal divisions rife in both Labour and the Conservatives, this year’s conferences are set to be fraught events. Party leaders will be focusing their energies on managing their MPs rather than showcasing new ideas, with new policy announcements likely to take a backseat to news headlines of infighting and potential leadership bids.

Labour’s conference comes first at the end of September. The party’s struggles with anti-Semitism have gained traction over the summer and key discussions are likely to continue at the conference.

The threat of de-selection will be at the fore of the minds of moderate MPs, who will rub up against the pro-Corbyn supporting membership at the Conference’s fringe events. Party rules are set to be debated and voted on with local Labour branches expected to bring forward a number of controversial proposals which would seek to alter the reselection process making it easier to remove sitting MPs, fast track the return of expelled members and allow support from other political organisations.

House building, and in particular the issues of affordability and supply, will be a key focus not just of Shadow Secretary of State for Housing John Healey MP’s speech, but for the leadership team, who outlined the party’s commitment to building one million affordable homes in ten years at the 2018 General Election. The issue of outsourcing is also expected to be raised off the back of Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s pledge for local councils to bring public services back in house following the collapse of Capita earlier this year. 

For the Conservatives, Brexit will lead the agenda. The event is set to be particularly fractious in light of backlash from the party’s largely pro-leave membership, unhappy with the recently agreed Chequers deal. Supposedly a large portion of the party’s membership has left over the plan, and pro-Brexit groups are plotting protests outside the venue. With pro-remain Conservative MPs reportedly avoiding attending or turning down speaking opportunities at fringe events, the get together will be less geared towards debate on national policy issues. Additionally, the Brexit debate, combined with rumours that Boris Johnson will be using the event as a means of bolstering support for an impending leadership bid, will ensure Theresa May remains pre-occupied with internal party management. 

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government James Brokenshire MP will look to address concerns surrounding house building in his speech to party members, particularly following the recent release of the National Planning Policy Framework and social housing green paper. In light of the Conservative’s underwhelming performance in the May 2018 local elections, Brokenshire will also seek to ameliorate concerns regarding the party’s electoral prospects, particularly in metropolitan centres where support for the party was at its lowest, and to address frustrations over the impact of long-term budgetary cuts to the quality of local government service provision.