Last week in British politics was dominated by the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. The Prime Minister steadied his shaky position after a series of scandals, resignations, and a mooted leadership challenge from the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
It was widely recognised that Sir Keir Starmer delivered one of his strongest speeches yet. He targeted Reform UK directly and outlined policies to revitalise local communities, support the NHS, and address voter concerns about immigration and economic decline.
Those on the ground responded warmly, but questions remain about his exact vision, and delivery remains a fundamental challenge for the government. With November’s Budget expected to be fiscally and politically painful, and difficult elections looming next May, Labour’s real work is only just beginning.
Attention has already shifted to the deputy leadership contest between Lucy Powell and Bridget Phillipson, with member ballots opening on Wednesday. While Powell is considered the favourite, high-profile endorsements are relatively evenly split between the two, and the contest is expected to dominate the agenda over October.
Shortly after the conference, the country was shaken by an antisemitic attack outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and the Prime Minister returned from abroad to lead the government’s response. He called on pro-Palestinian protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews” while the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “very concerned about the state of community relations in our country”, reflecting the growing challenge of maintaining social and community cohesion across the UK.
All eyes now turn to Manchester, where Kemi Badenoch faces a make-or-break Conservative Party Conference as she tries to turn around a self described “distressed asset”. Her leadership has been under pressure amid poor public ratings, internal divisions, and various high-profile defections to Reform UK. Badenoch faced scrutiny for characterising questions about where individuals would be sent within her plans to remove 750,000 illegal immigrants as “irrelevant”.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride is set to unveil plans to cut public spending by £47 billion over 5 years, including in areas such as welfare, the civil service and the already reduced foreign aid budget. These proposed cuts will be combined with plans for a £5,000 National Insurance rebate for first-time homebuyers linked to their first full time job.
Tory conference will prove fascinating, not just for Badenoch who is trying to retain a grip on her party, but to see whether the party itself is able to meaningfully take the fight to its biggest threat in Reform.
Things could not be more different for the new leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski. Buoyed by his recent election and a surge in party membership, he heads into the party’s conference in Bournemouth looking to consolidate momentum and establish the Greens as a serious challenge from Labour’s left.
With all 5 major UK parties now polling in double figures, Polanski will be aiming to continue winning over progressive voters in an increasingly fragmented political environment and carve out space in a crowded field. This is a challenge most party leaders will be grappling with over the months and years ahead.
International issues also continue to dominate. The shock resignation of France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu after less than a month in power reiterates the unpredictability of politics. Meanwhile, Hamas officials are in Egypt ahead of indirect talks with Israel, with hopes this will lead to pause in fighting and the release of hostages in Gaza.
Number 10 is also facing questioning over why charges against two men suspected of being spies for China were dropped and to what extent the Prime Minister’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell was involved in this decision.
With party conference season wrapping up and Parliament returning next week, the political focus will shift from conference speeches and headline-grabbing announcements to more traditional policymaking and the intense parliamentary battles over the months ahead.
Headlines
- House-buying shake-up plan aims to cut costs and time - BBC News
- Tories to pledge £5,000 tax break for young homebuyers - The Independent
- Trump urges negotiators to ‘move fast’ as Gaza ceasefire talks set to begin in Egypt - The Guardian
Consultations
- Green Paper: Future of Post Office - Closes 6th October
- Industrial emissions: modernising environmental permitting - 21st October
- Late payments: tackling poor payment practices - Closes 23rd October
Statistics and Research
- Health trends in England: October 2025 - 7th October
- Pupil attendance in schools - 9th October
- Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025 - 9th October