Renew Britain: Reflections from Labour Party Conference 2025

In the end, it was all completely…fine. Perhaps not the most glowing endorsement of Labour conference, but this reflection from a Labour SpAd pretty much sums up the mood of a conference that started with court intrigue and peril and ended with most people agreeing the Starmer drama is over. For now, at least.

Just last week, the atmosphere around No 10 and the PM was febrile – after a disastrous month of resignations and controversy, talk had turned to whether Keir was up to the top job. The PLP grew nervous, polls had Reform way ahead of Labour and briefings abounded that Andy Burnham, Manchester Mayor, was on manoeuvres for Keir’s job. And then the fun really began with a number of interventions from Andy that got the media very excited and the bond markets rather worried.

None of this was an ideal backdrop for a PM who was being urged to finally, after 16 months in the job, tell the country who he is and what he stands for. With another reset and new faces at No 10 trying to steady the ship, the sense was that this Labour conference would be a make or break one for Keir.

And like so many of us predicted, despite all the build up and briefings and drama, the PM and the Labour Party emerged from this conference on a more solid footing and with a greater sense of purpose.

No one is under any illusions that this offers anything other than a relatively brief reprieve for Keir and Labour, with all eyes now focused on the Budget and the near impossible task that Rachel has. There are also local elections next spring, with the real fear that Reform could sweep the board. But for now, the party is in a calmer and more united place than it has been for months.

Cabinet members with new briefs looked relaxed and at ease on the fringe and in media appearances – Peter Kyle, Darren Jones and Shaban Mahmood in particular seemed to gain lots of new admirers this conference. MPs who arrived looking pale and anxious walked out with a little more colour, and the media who had been obsessing about Andy toppling Keir, conceded that Keir had actually had a decent conference and confounded expectations.

With this in mind, what else has Labour conference taught us this year?

Firstly, unlike the Conservative Party who are happy to bin an unpopular leader and keep going ad nauseum, Labour ultimately does not like disloyalty and will rally around its leader at moments of jeopardy. The consensus amongst Labour insiders is that Andy Burnham’s interventions actually galvanised support for Keir around a common ‘enemy’ and even those who had flirted with the idea of a Burnham candidacy, soon backed away when discussions turned to wholesale nationalisation and bond markets.

Secondly, renewal, hope and pride in Britain are now key themes for the government as seen in Keir’s address and the flags shoved into the hands of the Cabinet. MPs had long complained that they didn’t know what the PM stood for or his vision for the country. Party members felt the downbeat and negative messaging around how hard things were was dragging support for the party down in local communities who want to feel a sense of hope.

Keir dealt with both these concerns in a speech that attempted to knit together both his vison and values but also his pride in our country and determination to support all people from all backgrounds. An MP I spoke to was surprised but delighted with the focus on the working class and not shying away from talking about traditional Labour values.

Thirdly, and leading on from the above, this conference has taught us that Labour are now taking the fight to Reform. It’s gloves off – much to the relief and delight of the party who have felt the government had been far too restrained and polite in it’s responses to Farage and Reform. This week, Reform were called racists and snowflakes, with no credible policy, and though there are some who urge caution around some of this language, there is no doubt that it’s got Reform’s back up.

Finally, this conference reminded us that in the end, after the flags have been waved and the cheers have quietened, it will be the ability of this government to deliver for people that will actually shift the dial. Is the government able to build the homes that communities desperately need? Will the health service deliver GP appointments for our children and cut hospital waiting lists? How will the announcements on apprenticeships and skills be turned into concrete policy measures, and can the new Home Secretary get a grip on the immigration debate in a way that doesn’t alienate the party or potential reform voters they need to win over. And most importantly, can the chancellor deliver the growth we need, reassure business and reduce the deficit – all of which is expected of her.

These are the questions that will be dominating the thoughts of the government in the run up to the budget and beyond, and offer the opportunity for those amongst us, working across the sectors the government needs to succeed, to play a role in helping shape some of their new thinking and policy in the months and years ahead. In the meantime, as the post-conference sniffles and coughs emerge, focus will soon turn to the Tory party and another leader in possible peril…