IfG at the Conservative Party Conference 2023
The IfG was in Manchester for a series of fringe events on the constitution, levelling up, public services, AI and more.
Is there a Conservative case for constitutional reform?
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Speakers:
- John Penrose MP, former Minister for Constitutional Reform
- Henry Hill, Deputy Editor of ConservativeHome
- Amy Leversidge, Assistant General Secretary at the FDA
- Jess Sargeant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government
This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by the FDA.
AI: governing the ungovernable?
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Speakers:
- Paul Scully MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
- Dr Andrew Rogoyski, Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence at the University of Surrey
- Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of the British Academy
- Anna Thomas, Co-Founder and Founding Director of the Institute for the Future of Work
This event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by the Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence at the University of Surrey.
How can science and innovation support an ambitious plan for economic growth?
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Speakers:
- George Freeman MP, Minister of State (Minister for Science, Research and Innovation) at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Katherine Bennett, Chief Executive Officer at the High Value Manufacturing Catapult
- Professor Nigel Brandon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London
- Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government
This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by Imperial College London.
What does the government need to do to ensure effective delivery of net zero?
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Speakers:
- Rt Hon Lord Maude of Horsham, Member of the House of Lords and former Minister of State for Trade and Investment and Minister for the Cabinet Office
- Virginia Crosbie MP, Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn
- Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Project Management
- Alastair Evans, Director of Corporate and Government Affairs at Rolls-Royce SMR
This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by the Association for Project Management.
How can local leaders design effective plans for local growth? (private roundtable)
Attendees included:
- Bim Afolami MP, Member of the Business and Trade Select Committee
- Katherine Bennett, Chair of Western Gateway
- Ruth Carver, Chief Executive of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Economic Partnership
- Lord Patrick McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North
- Dr Roger Mendonça, Chief Executive of the Midlands Engine
- Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government
- Martin Vickers MP, Vice Chair of the Midlands Engine All Party Parliamentary Group
This event was kindly supported by the Midlands Engine.
How can regulators promote growth and protect the public?
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Speakers:
- George Freeman MP, Minister of State (Minister for Science, Research and Innovation) at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
- James Wild MP, Member of Parliament for North West Norfolk
- Anna Bradley, Chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority
- Phoebe Clay, Director of Unchecked UK
- Antony Walker, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of techUK
This event was chaired by Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
What can the government do to improve hospital performance?
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Speakers:
- Lord Bethell, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
- Dr Caroline Johnson MP, Member of the Commons Health and Care Committee
- Dr Layla McCay, Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation
- Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner at Public First
This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
What is the future of government outsourcing?
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- Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
- Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, former Minister at the Cabinet Office
- Anthony Kirby, Chief Executive Officer of Serco UK & Europe
- Sarah Vibert, Chief Executive Officer of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations
This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by Serco.
How should a future UK energy system be governed?
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Speakers:
- Dr Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at Cadent Gas
- Josh Buckland, Partner at Flint Global
- Colm Murphy, Head of Transformation at National Grid ESO
- Dhara Vyas, Deputy Chief Executive at Energy UK
This event was chaired by Olly Bartrum, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by Cadent Gas.
Improving the nation’s diet: how can government’s obesity policy boost the UK’s health and economy?
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Speakers:
- Jo Gideon MP, Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central
- John Maingay, Director of Policy and Influencing at the British Heart Foundation
- Sophie Metcalfe, Researcher at the Institute for Government
- Dr Alison E Tedstone, Independent Adviser and former Chief Nutritionist at Public Health England
- Alex Veitch, Director of Policy and Insights at the British Chambers of Commerce
This event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by the Obesity Health Alliance, The Food Foundation, and Sustain.
How can the government make progress on levelling up before the next election?
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Speakers:
- Cllr Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council and Member of Parliament for Mansfield
- Dr Fiona Aldridge, Head of Insight - Economic Delivery, Skills and Communities at the West Midlands Combined Authority
- Dr Victoria Hutchinson, Environment Practice Director at AtkinsRéalis
- Margot James, former Member of Parliament for Stourbridge
- Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government
This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by AtkinsRéalis.
How can the government help build strong local institutions to deliver levelling up?
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Speakers:
- Jack Brereton MP, Member of the Transport Select Committee
- Cllr Abi Brown, Conservative Councillor for the Meir Park ward and former leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council
- Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government
- Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice and Vice Dean of Humanities at The University of Manchester
This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
This event was kindly supported by Policy@Manchester.
The Human Side of AI (private roundtable)
Attendees include:
- Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of the British Academy
This event was chaired by Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
This event was kindly supported by the British Academy.
How can the centre of government deliver Rishi Sunak’s priorities?
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Speakers:
- Rt Hon Jeremy Quin MP, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
- Anita Boateng, former Special Adviser and Partner at Portland Communications
- Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government;
- Ben Warner, former Chief Adviser on Digital and Data to the Prime Minister
This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government.
Read highlights from the event.
Follow us on Twitter @ifgevents and join the conversation using #IfGCon23.
To contact us, please email eventsifg@instituteforgovernment.org.uk or call 020 7747 0417.
See our fringe events at the Labour Party Conference 2023.
The Institute for Government is grateful to the following organisations for their support of the IfG's Conservative Party Conference 2023 events:
Our experts
Olly Bartrum
Senior Economist
Nick Davies
Programme Director
Gavin Freeguard
Associate
Matthew Gill
Programme Director
Sophie Metcalfe
Researcher
Emma Norris
Deputy Director
Akash Paun
Programme Director
Thomas Pope
Deputy Chief Economist
Jill Rutter
Senior Fellow
Jess Sargeant
Former Associate Director
Alex Thomas
Programme Director
Gemma Tetlow
Chief Economist
Hannah White
Director and CEO
Giles Wilkes
Senior Fellow