Talking business at the party conferences

CIOB’s policy and public affairs team has been planning for party conference season, which is nearly upon us.

As we do most years, we’re teaming up with some of our sister professional bodies to make the case for construction to policymakers and parliamentarians.

With the focus still on how our industry will mobilise to meet the government’s goal to build more homes and infrastructure, our aim this year is to present policy solutions to some of the biggest challenges in delivering this, such as the longstanding skills gap in construction.

The Labour Party Conference will be in Liverpool and we’re planning to host three events there, in collaboration with some of our sister professional bodies, focusing on the need for a strong performing construction industry and robust policies to enable that.

I can also confirm that Paul Gandy FCIOB, the institute’s president for 2025/26, will be speaking at the Labour Party conference.

At the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, CIOB will be sponsoring the Enterprise Forum’s business reception. This is another collaborative effort: we will be working alongside nine other organisations from a range of sectors, all significant contributors to the UK economy.

The shadow chancellor of the exchequer, Mel Stride, has been invited to speak, as has the leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch.

The final details of our events are still being confirmed at the time of writing but we will, of course, invite the relevant ministers to participate, including the minister of state for housing and planning, Matthew Pennycook.

Our talking points will be consistent with the headline themes we’ve been working on in recent years, not least emphasising how we are vital in contributing to the government’s ambitious 1.5 million homes target.

We will also talk about why ensuring quality and safety must be paramount in reaching their targets, how we close the skills gap and bring more people into the sector and key practical matters, such as tackling late payment and other policies that could contribute to improving the performance of the sector.

I am looking forward to a productive few weeks and to continuing our collaborations with other professional bodies, presenting a solid case to policymakers for the power that can be unlocked across the built environment sector to deliver incredible buildings and infrastructure – and provide benefits for communities and across society in the process.

Eddie Tuttle is CIOB’s director of policy, research and public affairs.