As Autumn approaches, ICAEW is poised to make an impact at the upcoming party conferences of the UK's three largest political parties. Building on a successful year of policy engagement, ICAEW is ready to ensure that our members' voices are not just heard, but prioritised in the key decisions shaping the future of the UK economy.

Following the general election in July, party conference season is the next big moment in the calendar to influence policy. It’s a crucial moment for ICAEW to secure members’ interests at the heart of government and opposition discussions, engaging directly with cabinet and shadow cabinet ministers.

Over the past year, ICAEW has developed a strong dialogue with the three main political parties, highlighting areas that it feels need to be addressed through policy to improve the UK’s economic prospects and encourage growth and investment in the country. 

Areas of focus at the conferences will include advocating for reforms in business rates, refining the government’s industrial strategy, continuing conversations on audit reform, advancing trade and business tax policies, bolstering support for SMEs, and leading conversations on AI, green finance, and productivity.

ICAEW Chief Executive Alan Vallance, Managing Director of Reputation and Influence Iain Wright, and ICAEW President Malcolm Bacchus will attend the Labour Conference. Their programme will include participation in Labour’s sold-out Business Day, featuring addresses by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Additionally, ICAEW will host a member event at KPMG in Liverpool and co-sponsor a significant Labour and business dialogue with the Fabian Society.

At the Conservative Party conference, ICAEW has co-sponsored an event with Enterprise Forum, which will be attended by Shadow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. With the Liberal Democrats now holding 72 seats in the House of Commons, their increased influence makes our engagement at their conference more important than ever. 

"ICAEW is committed to engaging with major political parties to inform MPs about the challenges our members face and explore policy solutions that promote growth and reduce burdens on businesses," says Vallance.

“The party conferences are rich opportunities to engage on policy; you can end up in a conversation with several ministers or shadow ministers while walking around them. UK growth and productivity has been historically weak, so any strategy needs to address obstacles facing businesses wanting to grow, people wanting to develop, and public services wanting to improve. We are happy to support the government and opposition parties to get effective policies for growth, in the public interest.”