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2016 Events

Members’ Reception with Ruth Davidson MSP

By 2016 Events

We’re delighted to announce the date and speaker for our annual reception for Bright Blue members. This year, we have the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party – Ruth Davidson MSP – as our guest speaker. The reception will take place on the evening of Monday 28th November, 2016.

The only way to get a ticket is to become a member – if you haven’t signed up already, join Bright Blue here today! You will then receive a formal invitation, which will include details of the location.

Date: Monday 28th November 2016

November 28, 2016

Britain in Europe think forum

By 2016 Events, Think forums

This Think Forum will bring together politicians, international relations specialists, lawyers, economists, industrialists and others to examine how to further the UK’s and the EU/EFTA’s mutual interests in free trade, and to undertake that examination in the broader context of the UK’s place in Europe politically, culturally and socially, as well as economically.

Post-Brexit, how can the UK play a positive role in building an economically successful, diverse and entrepreneurial Europe that stands for freedom and opportunity, and is a force for good in the wider world?

Date: Wednesday 23rd November 2016, 19.00 – 20.30.

Venue: Morpeth Arms (upstairs), 58 Millbank, London, SW1P 4RW

November 21, 2016

Education think forum: New Prime Minister, new policies?

By 2016 Events, Think forums

Bright Blue’s Forums provide an opportunity to discuss politics and policy in an informal and interactive environment.

Join us for informal drinks and chat on the Government’s recent education announcements; from lifting the ban on grammar schools to private school reform. The forum will be chaired by Chris Hayes. Please note that October’s education forum will be held in the Two Chairmen near St James’s Park, not the Two Chairmen on Trafalgar Square.

Date: Tuesday 25th October 2016, 19.00 – 20.30.

Venue: Two Chairmen Pub, 39 Dartmouth St, London SW1H 9BP

October 25, 2016

Drink Tank with Ben Howlett MP

By 2016 Events

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas.

Our guest speaker for this Drink Tank is Ben Howlett MP. Ben was elected Member of Parliament for Bath in 2015. He currently sits on the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Petitions Select Committee. He was formerly the National Chairman of Conservative Future in 2010, and prior to becoming an MP was one of the youngest councillors in his home town of Harwich.

Date: Wednesday 12th October 2016, 19.00 – 20.30.

Venue: Morpeth Arms (upstairs), 58 Millbank, London, SW1P 4RW

Events
October 12, 2016

Party Conferences 2016

By 2016 Events

Conservative Party Conference 2016

View all party conference events

Responding to the refugee crisis

Sunday 2nd October 2016: 12:45-14:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Jeremy Lefroy MP, Member, International Development Committee
Kevin Watkin, CEO, Save the Children
Owen Jones, Columnist, The Guardian
Ahmad al-Rashid, Refugee and former aid worker, UNICEF
Julia Onslow-Cole, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Kate Maltby, Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

After Brexit: Integrating Britain & creating ‘One Nation’

Sunday 2nd October 2016: 17:45-19:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Suella Fernandes, Member, Education Select Committee
Rafael Behr, Columnist, The Guardian
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Jon Yates, Strategy Director, The Challenge
Asa Bennett, The Daily Telegraph (Chair)

Britain’s housing crisis: can the market solve it?

Sunday 2nd October 2016: 17:45-19:00
Dolce Room: Hyatt Regency

Gavin Barwell MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning
Lord Gary Porter, Chairman, Local Government Association
Victoria Spratt, Features Editor, The Debrief
Shamez Alibhai, Partner, Cheyne Social Property Impact Fund
Martin Wheatley, Founder, SHOUT
Alexandra Jezeph, Non-Executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

The path to prosperity: what skills are needed in Britain?

Sunday 2nd October 2016: 19:30-21:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Neil Carmichael, Chair, Education Select Committee
Randeep Ramesh, Chief Leader Writer, The Guardian
Andy Silvester, Head of Campaigns, Institute of Directors
Jonathan Simons, Head of Education, Policy Exchange
Margaret Burton, Partner, Ernst & Young
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Ignored and forgotten? Young people and politics

Sunday 2nd October 2016: 19:30-21:00
Exec Room 2: ICC

Chris Skidmore MP, Minister for the Constitution
Ben Howlett MP, Member, Women and Equalities Committee
Torsten Bell, Director, Resolution Foundation
Oly Duff, Editor, The i
Michael Lynas, CEO, NCS Trust
Laura Round, Communications Manager, Bright Blue (Chair)

Drink Tank

Sunday 2nd October 2016: 21:30-23:00
Sonata Room: Hyatt Regency 

Dan Hannan MEP
Nigel Fletcher, Head of Research, Bright Blue (Chair)

Britain’s got talent: Promoting the right skills for a successful UK

Monday 3rd October 2016: 08:30-10:00
This event is by invitation only

Lord David Willetts, Executive Chair, Resolution Foundation
Chris Cook, Policy Editor, Newsnight
Mark Boleat, Chairman, City of London Corporation’s Policy & Resources Committee
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Lifetime Learning: reskilling & upskilling our adult workforce

Monday 3rd October 2016: 10:30-12:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Karl McCartney, Member, APPG for Universities
Josh Hardie, Deputy Director General, CBI
John Gill, Editor, The Times Higher Education Supplement
Peter Horrocks, Vice-Chancellor, The Open University
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Sonia Sodha, Chief Leader Writer, The Observer (Chair)

Great or gloomy? Britain’s economy in the next five years

Monday 3rd October 2016: 12:45-14:00
Exec Room 1: ICC

John Redwood MP
Dr Gerard Lyons, Former Chief Economist, Mayor of London
Dr Ruth Lea CBE, Economic Adviser, Arbuthnot Banking Group
Ann Pettifor, Director, Policy Research in Macroeconomics
Julia Onslow-Cole, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ben Caldecott, Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

Improving life chances

Monday 3rd October 2016: 15:00-16:15
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

John Glen MP, PPS to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Baroness Stroud, Executive Chair, Centre for Social Justice
Philip Collins, Columnist, The Times
Danny Kruger, Chief Executive, West London Zone
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Diane Banks, Non-Exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Working women: is gender equality beyond reach?

Monday 3rd October 2016: 15:00-16:15
Work + Play 1: Malmaison 

Nicky Morgan MP, Former Minister for Women & Equalities
Rachel Johnson, Non-Exec Director, Bright Blue
Mike Thompson, Director for Early Careers, Barclays
Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, The Fawcett Society
Dr Carole Easton, Chief Executive, Young Women’s Trust
Kate Maltby, Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

The role of nuclear in Britain’s economy & energy mix

Monday 3rd October 2016: 17:45-19:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State for Energy
James Heappey, Member, Energy and Climate Change Select Committee
Stephen Tindale, Director, The Alvin Weinberg Foundation
Laura Sandys, Chair, European Movement UK
Lord John Hutton, Chairman, Nuclear Industry Association
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Closing the disability employment gap

Monday 3rd October 2016: 17:45-19:00
Dolce Room Hyatt Regency 

Baroness Stroud, Executive Chair, Centre for Social Justice
James Moore, Deputy Business Editor, The Independent
Seamus Nevin, Head of Employment & Skills Policy, IOD
Richard Clifton, Associate Director, Shaw Trust
Nigel Fletcher, Head of Research, Bright Blue (Chair)

Straight into adulthood

Monday 3rd October 2016: 19:30-21:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Lord Ralph Lucas
Greg Hurst, Education Editor, The Times
Prof. Nick Pearce, Former Director of Policy, 10 Downing Street
Andy Ratcliffe, Chief Executive, Impetus
Laura Round, Communications Manager, Bright Blue (Chair)

In conversation with Chris Grayling

Monday 3rd October 2016: 21:30-23:00
Hall 6B: ICC

Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport
Darren McCaffrey, Political Correspondent, Sky News

Quality apprenticeships

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 08:30-10:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Rishi Sunak MP
Francis Martin, President, British Chambers of Commerce
Stephen Exley, Editor, The Times Higher Education Supplement
Katie O’Donovan, Head of Apprenticeship & Education Policy, Google
Ian Pretty, Chief Exchange, 157 Group
James Dobson, Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)

Social justice for disabled people

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 10:30-11:45
This event is by invitation only

George Freeman MP, Chair, Prime Minister’s Policy Board
Polly Toynbee, Columnist, The Guardian
Anna Bird, Executive Director of Policy and Research, Scope
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Responsible capitalism? Making the customer king

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 12:45-14:00
Fortissimo Room: Hyatt Regency 

George Freeman, Chair, Prime Minister’s Policy Board
Liam Halligan, Columnist, The Sunday Telegraph
Lewis Shand Smith, Chief Executive, Ombudsman Services
Katie O’Donovan, Head of Apprenticeship & Education Policy, Google
Diane Banks, Non-Exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Conservatives, social mobility and the world of work

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 12:45-14:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Matthew Hancock, Minister for Digital Policy
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, TUC
Rachel Sylvester, Columnist, The Times (Chair)

Is our immigration system working for British business?

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 15:45-17:00
Exec Room 1: ICC

Anna Soubry MP
Alp Mehmet, Vice Chair, Migration Watch
Prof. Ian Preston, Professor of Economics, University College London
Isabel Oakeshott, Political Editor at Large, The Daily Mail
Julia Onslow-Cole, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Alexandra Jezeph, Non-Exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

The economics interview

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 15:30-17:00
Room 101: Jurys Inn

Margot James MP, Minister for Small Business
Martin McTague, Policy Director, Federation of Small Businesses
Aditya Chakrabortty, Senior Economics Commentator, The Guardian
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue

A revolution in our prison system?

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 17:45-19:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Sam Gyimah MP, Minister for Prisons and Probation
Kit Malthouse MP
Ian Birrell, Contributing Editor, The Mall on Sunday
Frances Crook, Chief Executive, The Howard League
Lord Farmer
Nigel Fletcher, Head of Research, Bright Blue (Chair)

Do the Conservatives speak for the centre?

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 17:45-19:00
Exec Room 2: ICC

Graham Brady MP, Chair, 1922 Committee
Alan Mak MP
Peter Oborne, Columnist, The Daily Mail
Deborah Mattinson, Founding Director, Britain Thinks
Tom Kibasi, Director, IPPR
Rachel Johnson, Non-Exec Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

A marriage of convenience: what now for the EU and the UK?

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 19:30-21:00
Lismore Room: Hilton Garden Inn

Charlie Elphicke MP
Johnathan Isaby, Editor, BrexitCentral
Professor Anand Menon, Director, The UK in a Changing Europe
Vicky Pryce, Former Head, UK Goverment Economic Service
Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future
Rupert Myers, Associate Fellow, Bright Blue (Chair)

Human rights & Conservative government

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 19:30-21:00
Hall 9: ICC

Dominic Grieve MP, Chair, Intelligence and Security Committee
Maria Miller MP, Chair, Women and Equalities Select Committee
Crispin Blunt MP, Chair, Foreign Affairs Select Committee
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Martha Spurrier, Director, Liberty
Fatima Manji, Correspondent, Channel 4 News (Chair)

The future of work

Tuesday 4th October 2016: 21:30-23:00
This event is by invitation only

Jeremy Quin MP, Member, Work and Pensions Select Committee
Anushka Asthana, Journalist, The Guardian
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Labour Conference 2016

View all party conference events

Closing the disability employment gap

Tuesday 27th September 2016: 12:30-14:00
Meeting Room 6, Hilton Liverpool City Centre

The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP
Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs & Education Editor, Sky News
Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive, ERSA
Gemma Hope, Head of Policy, Research and Communication, Shaw Trust
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

What would it take for Labour to win a general election?

Tuesday 27th September 2016: 17:30-19:30
Room 11a, Liverpool ACC

Lisa Nandy MP
Jonathan Ashworth MP
Matthew Parris, Columnist, The Times
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Tom Kibasi, Director, IPPR (Chair)

October 2, 2016

Launch of ‘The future of London’ essay collection

By 2016 Events

Our latest essay collection sets out to answer the question of what London will look like in 2050. To remain a thriving and successful city, improving opportunities for all of its citizens, it must be innovative – a step ahead of rival cities in in business, culture, education, governance and more.

The essay collection includes contributions from a number of high-profile decision makers and opinion formers, including the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP (Foreign Secretary), Justine Roberts (Co-Founder, Mumsnet), the Rt Hon Alan Milburn (Chair, Social Mobility Commission), Sir Terry Farrell (Architect), Professor Tony Travers (Director, LSE London), and more.

Speakers include:

Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor, London Evening Standard (Chair)
Professor Tony Travers, Director, LSE London
Gerard Grech, Chief Executive Officer, Tech City
John Cruddas MP, MP for Dagenham and Rainham (invited)
Bob Neill MP, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst
Cllr Kevin Davis, Leader of Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Date: Monday 12th September 2016, 12.30 – 14.00.

Venue: Livery Hall, Guildhall, 71 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 7HH

September 12, 2016
Events

Energy & Environment think forum

By 2016 Events, Think forums

Bright Blue’s Forums are spaces for those on the centre-right to come together to chat about politics and discuss policy.

For this Energy & Climate Change Forum we will be joined by Professor Leif Wenar, of King’s College London.

Date: Wednesday 3rd August 2016, 19.00 – 20:30

Venue: Morpeth Arms (upstairs), 58 Millbank, London, SW1P 4RW

Events
August 3, 2016

Education think forum: Boosting social mobility

By 2016 Events, Think forums

Bright Blue’s Forums provide an opportunity to discuss politics and policy in an informal and interactive environment.

For this Education Forum, we welcome Mark Blundell OBE from Onside Youth. We will be discussing the importance of youth work, informal education and other approaches to boosting social mobility.

Date: Monday 18th July 2016, 19.00 – 20:30

Venue: Morpeth Arms (upstairs), 58 Millbank, London, SW1P 4RW

July 18, 2016

Drink Tank with Tom Tugendhat MP

By 2016 Events

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas.

Our guest speaker for this Drink Tank is Tom Tugendhat MP. Tom was elected Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling in 2015 and is a Member of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. A former journalist, management consultant and energy analyst, he joined the Army Reserve and served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Date: Wednesday 13th July 2016, 19.00 – 21.00.

Venue: Morpeth Arms (upstairs), 58 Millbank, London, SW1P 4RW

July 13, 2016
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