Politics

What we learned from the party conferences 2015

It's been an eventful month—but what should we make of it?

October 08, 2015
David Cameron's speech on Wednesday rounded off the main parties' conference season. © AP Photo/Jon Super
David Cameron's speech on Wednesday rounded off the main parties' conference season. © AP Photo/Jon Super
Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have now completed their party conferences. The SNP's is still to come, though it falls outside of the formal conference period. But what has happened so far and what does it mean? Find all of Prospect's coverage below. 

Conservatives

David Cameron's conference speech: our panel responds Reaction from Vicky Pryce, Peter Kellner and more.

Where do the Conservative leadership candidates stand?Who's up and who's down after an eventful party conference, asks Rebecca Coulson.

Why George Osborne stands above his rivalsThe chancellor's speech set out a coherent and often radical plan for changing Britain, argues Bronwen Maddox.

Will Boris and Zac back Brexit?If the London Mayor and his potential successor opt for 'Out' it could damage the Prime Minister, writes Peter Kellner.

Britain's world view is narrowingThe European debate is increasingly the focus of British foreign policy, writes Josh Lowe.

Immigration is Cameron's biggest challengeVoters no longer believe the Conservatives can, or really want to, control immigration, writes Matthew Goodwin.

Just how Tory is the Tory party conference? Josh Lowe runs down the most distinctively Conservative aspects of the event.

Labour

What should Labour do for the self-employed?Jeremy Corbyn says he wants to help independent workers—how should he and other politicians do so? Conor d'Arcy.

"We won't let the Bullingdon boys bully the BBC"Michael Dugher might not have been the obvious choice for Shadow Culture Secretary, but his attacking spirit is clearly fully deployed, writes Serena Kutchinsky.

Can John McDonnell win the country’s trust?If he re-establishes political control over the bank of England, it will be hard to win the public over, writes George Magnus.

We still don’t know what Jeremy Corbyn wantsIs he engaged in a lasting strategic move away from his past, or just making short-term tactical concessions, asks Peter Kellner.

Lib Dems

The Lib Dems need to be less niceThe party has rightly spotted an opportunity, but it must be willing to fight dirty to seize it, writes Josh Lowe.