CPS Conservative Party Conference Agenda 2019

Sunday marks the start of the 2019 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. The Centre for Policy Studies will once again be hosting a full programme of events in its own space within the main conference venue, inside the secure zone.  

Alongside a host of other distinguished guests, our speakers will include: 

Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP – Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP – Secretary of State for Transport
Rt Hon Esther McVey MP – Minister of State for Housing Communities and Local Government  
Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP – Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP – Chief Secretary to the TreasuryRt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP – Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial StrategyRt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP – former Secretary of State for Defence

Sunday

Britain Beyond Brexit – 14.00 – 15.00: George Freeman MP, Minister of State (Department for Transport); Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, former Secretary of State for Defence; Flick Drummond; Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies

The Fight for Free Schools – 15.30 – 16.30: Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner, Public First ; Unity Howard, Director, New Schools Network; Ben Bradley MP (invited); Emily Duncan, Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Policy Studies; James Heywood, Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Studies

In Conversation with Rishi Sunak – 17.00 – 18.00: Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies; Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury

CPS Drinks Reception, sponsored by JUUL Labs (Invite only): – 19.00 – 20.30: Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies Dan Thomson, UK & Ire Managing Director, JUUL Labs

Monday

Supporting Global Britain: strength of UK financial services post-Brexit (Invite only) – 08.00 – 09.00: John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury; Catherine McGuiness, Policy Chair, City of London Corporation; Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies

Can the Free Market Save the Planet? – 09.30 – 10.30: Kirsty Finlayson, Communications Director, British Conservation Alliance; Tom Clougherty, Head of Tax, Centre for Policy Studies; Sam Hall, Director, Conservative Environment Network; Eamonn Ives, Business Researcher, Centre for Policy Studies

Going for Growth: The Future of the UK Tax System – 11.00 – 12.00: Scott Hodge, President, Tax Foundation; Tom Clougherty, Head of Tax, Centre for Policy Studies; Sam Dumitriu, Research Director, The Entrepreneurs Network; Emily Duncan, Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Policy Studies

Are We Solving the Housing Crisis? 12.30 – 13.30: Rt Hon Esther McVey MP, Minister of State (Housing Communities and Local Government); Eddie Hughes MP; Liam Halligan, Columnist, The Telegraph; Alex Morton, Head of Policy, Centre for Policy Studies; Iain Martin, Columnist, The Times

Think Small: Are the Conservatives Doing Enough for Small Businesses? – 14.00 – 15.00: Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Former Commercial Secretary to the Treasury; Craig Beaumont, External Affairs and Advocacy Director, Federation of Small Businesses; Kelly Tolhurst MP, Minister of State (Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility) (invited) ; Alison Cork, CEO, Alison at Home; Nick King, Head of Business, Centre for Policy Studies

Social Mobility: How Business Can Bridge the Class Divide, sponsored by The Investment Association – 15.30 – 16.30: Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer; Chris Cummings, Chief Executive, The Investment Association; Virginia Crosbie, Director, Women2Win; Caroline Elsom, Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Studies

A Budget for No Deal – 16.45 – 17.45: Suella Braverman MP; Jagjit Chadha, Director, National Institute of Economic and Social Research; Victoria Hewson, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Institute of Economic Affairs; Tom Clougherty, Head of Tax, Centre for Policy Studies

In Conversation with the Rt Hon Matt Hancock, sponsored by the Epilepsy Society – 18.00 – 19.00: Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies; Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; Clare Pelham, CEO, The Epilepsy Society

Tuesday

The Life Lottery: Why Inequality in Britain is About More Than Money, sponsored by JUUL Labs – 08.00 – 09.00: Helen Barnard, Deputy Director of Policy & Partnerships; Joseph Rowntree Foundation Max Chambers; Director, Government and Public Affairs, JUUL Labs; Frank Young, Head of Family Policy, Centre for Social Justice; Jo Churchill MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Health and Social Care) (invited); Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies

Does Westminster Get Tech? – 09.30 – 10.30:  Matt Warman MP, Minister for Digital and Broadband; Karen Renshaw, Senior Associate Public Policy, Uber; Dom Hallas, Executive Director, The Coalition for a Digital Economy; Alina Dimofte, Public Policy Manager, Google; Vinous Ali, Associate Director for Policy, techUK; Caroline Elsom, Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Studies

CapX Live: The Future of Capitalism – 11.00 – 12.00:  Alan Lockey, Head of the Future Work Centre, RSA; Casey Calista, Digital Policy Expert; Sam Bowman, Principal, Fingleton Associates; John Ashmore, Editor, CapX

Robert Colvile in Conversation with Kwasi Kwarteng, sponsored by Ryse Hydrogen – 12.30 – 13.30:  Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies; Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Minister of State (Business, Energy and Clean Growth); Jo Bamford, Executive Chair, Ryse Hydrogen

Fixing the Care Crisis: Solving Social Care sponsored by Independent Age – 14.00 – 15.00:  Rt Hon Damian Green MP, Former First Secretary of State; Cllr James Jamieson, Chair, Local Government Association ; Simon Tucker, Director of Innovation, Independent Age; Alex Morton, Head of Policy, Centre for Policy Studies; Emily Duncan, Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Policy Studies

Building on Promises: Getting Infrastructure Right, sponsored by BT – 15.30- 16.30:  Ben Houchen, Mayor, Tees Valley; Philip Bouverat, Director, JCB; Alex Towers, Director of Policy and Public Affairs BT; Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport; Nick King, Head of Business, Centre for Policy Studies

The Case for Conservatism – 17.00 – 18.00:  Robert Colvile, Director, Centre for Policy Studies; Kate Andrews, Associate Director, IEA; Stephen Parkinson, Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies; Neil O’Brien OBE MP
CapX Live: Doomed by Demographics? – 18.30 – 19.30: Elena Bunbury, Vice Chair Communications, LGBT+ Conservatives; Resham Kotecha, Head of Engagement, Women2Win ; Joe Twyman, Director, Deltapoll; John Ashmore, Editor, CapX
 You can view and download our complete agenda here. There may be changes to the published schedule so please make sure to check the CPS website during the conference for event updates.