This year, the Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, will be our guest speaker at our exclusive annual reception for our members and supporters.
Date: Wednesday 19th December 2018, 19:00 – late.
Open to members: become a member here
Bright Blue’s Women in work half-day conference provides an opportunity to discuss and champion successes for women in the workplace alongside solutions to the challenges women still face. The half-day conference will begin with a keynote speech from The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, Minister for Women and Equalities.
Agenda
08.45am Registration
09.00am Introduction by Alexandra Jezeph, Non-Executive Director, Bright Blue
09:05am Keynote speech by The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, Minister for Women and Equalities
10:00am Coffee break
10.30am Panel discussion on ‘Improving employment prospects for women’
Speakers:
- Jessica Zambrano, Cleaner and representative of Fair Work Campaign, Citizens UK
- Zamila Bunglawala, Deputy Director, Race Disparity Unit, Cabinet Office and Visiting Fellow, LSE International Inequalities Institute
- Ruby Peacock Deputy Head of Public Affairs, Federation of Small Businesses
- Ann Francke CEO, Chartered Management Institute
- David Isaac CBE Chair, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Diane Banks Non-Executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
11.55am Closing remarks from Rachel Johnson, Non-Executive Director, Bright Blue
12.00pm-13:00pm Networking lunch
Date: Wednesday 21st November, 2018, 08.45 – 13.00
Venue: British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH
RSVP: This event is free and open to all, but pre-registration through Eventbrite is required. Please RSVP here.
In partnership with:
Our drink tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas.
For our Autumn drink tank we welcome Bim Afolami MP as our guest speaker. Bim Afolami has been the MP for Hitchin and Harpenden since 2017. Before he became an MP, he worked as a corporate lawyer at Freshfields and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and then as a senior executive at HSBC.
Date: Wednesday 17th October, 2018, 19.00 – 22.00
Venue: The Spying Room, Morpeth Arms, 58 Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RW
RSVP: Here
Bright Blue’s think forums are run by our members and are spaces for those on the centre-right to come together to chat about politics and discuss policy.
For this forum, we welcome two guest speakers: Rebecca Lowe (Director, FREER) and Tom Kibasi (Director, IPPR).
With ever increasing support for nationalisation of key industries does the case for privatisation need to be remade? This event will also examine some of the broader principles of the free market, and the relative merits and demerits of capitalism.
Key questions:
- What are the reasons the privatisation agenda appears to have stalled?
- Why have calls for nationalisation grown louder?
- What alternatives are there to these agendas?
Date: Wednesday 10th October, 2018, 19.00 – 22.00
Venue: The Spying Room, Morpeth Arms, 58 Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RW
RSVP: Here
A buyer’s market? Improving the accessibility and affordability of homeownership
Sunday 30th September 2018: 12:45-14:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Kit Malthouse MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning
James Murray, Deputy Mayor of London, Housing and Residential Development
Anthony Browne, Chair, Regulatory Policy Committee
Carol Lewis, Deputy Editor of Bricks and Mortar, The Times
Ishaan Malhi, CEO, Trussle
Alexandra Jezeph, Non-executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Beyond CAP: the countryside after Brexit
Sunday 30th September 2018: 15:15-16:30
Jury’s Inn, Room 112
George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Beccy Speight, Chief Executive, The Woodland Trust
Rebecca Wrigley, Chief Executive, Rewilding Britain
Minette Batters, President, National Farmers Union
Andrew Heald, Technical Director, Confor
Eamonn Ives, Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)
Somewhere secure: helping ‘left behind’ Britain
Sunday 30th September 2018: 17:45 – 19:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Syed Kamall MEP, Chairman, European Conservatives and Reformists
Lord Glasman, Founder, Blue Labour
Rafael Behr, Columnist, The Guardian
Ros Wynne-Jones, Columnist, Daily Mirror, and Founder, The Wigan Pier Project
Sarah Whitehead, Director, Community Pride
Diane Banks, Non-executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Britain’s post-Brexit immigration system
Sunday 30th September 2018: 19:45-21:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Prof Eric Kaufmann, Professor of Politics, Birkbeck University of London
Adrian Wooldridge, Political Editor, The Economist
Tom Hamilton, Research Director, Global Future
Mike Buckley, Consultant, The Fabian Society
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Alexandra Jezeph, Non-executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Drink Tank
Sunday 30th September 2018:21:30-23:00
Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Andante room
The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Home Secretary
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
The future of pensions
Monday 1st October 2018: 08:45-10:00
This event is by invitation only
The Rt Hon Lord Willetts, Executive Chair, The Resolution Foundation
Josephine Cumbo, Pensions Correspondent, The Financial Times
Gregg McClymont, Director of Policy and External Affairs, B&CE
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue and Andrew Harrop, General Secretary, The Fabian Society (Co-Chairs)
Plastic fantastic? Exploring the current debate on plastic waste
Monday 1st October 2018: 10:45-12:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Dr Therese Coffey MP, Minister for Environment and Rural Life Opportunities
Chris Lowe, Senior Director Public Affairs, Asda
Dr Lyndsey Dodds, Head of UK & EU Marine Policy, WWF
Paul Taylor, CEO, FCC Environment UK
Jacob Hayler, Executive Director, Environmental Services Association
Wilf Lytton, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)
The social care crisis: developing cross-party support and local solutions
Monday 1st October 2018: 12:45-14:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
The Rt Hon Damian Green MP Former First Secretary of State
Sonia Sodha, Chief Leader Writer, The Observer
William Laing, Data Director and founder, LaingBuisson
Cllr David Simmonds CBE, Deputy Chairman, Local Government Association
Dame Clare Tickell DBE, Chief Executive, Hanover Housing Association
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Putting the wind in Britain’s sails? Global Britain and offshore wind
Monday 1st October 2018: 12:45-14:00
Hilton Garden Inn Brindleyplace Birmingham, Barra Room
Baroness Brown, Deputy Chair, Committee of Climate Change
Prof Michael Grubb, Professor of Energy and Climate Change, UCL
James Murray, Editor, Business Green
Benj Sykes, Vice President, Offshore Wind Industry Council
Wilf Lytton, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)
A heated debate: greening Britain’s homes
Monday 1st October 2018: 15:15-16:30
Exec Room 1, ICC Birmingham
Rebecca Pow MP, Officer, Climate Change APPG
Tony Juniper, Executive Director for Advocacy and Campaigns, WWF
Richard Howard, Research Director, Aurora Energy Research
Jillian Ambrose, Energy Editor, The Daily Telegraph
Paul Blacklock, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Calor Gas
Eamonn Ives, Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)
Can tech save savings?
Monday 1st October 2018: 15:15-16:30
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion
Professor Karen Rowlingson, Professor of Social Policy, University of Birmingham
Justin Cash, Editor, Money Marketing
Iona Bain, Founder, Young Money Blog
Andrew Evans, CEO, Smart Pension
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Making child poverty history
Monday 1st October 2018: 17:45-19:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Jeremy Lefroy MP, Member, Joint Human Rights Select Committee
Matthew Oakley, Author, DWP Independent Review of Benefit Sanctions
Dr Kitty Stewart, Associate Professor of Social Policy, London School of Economics
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Jackie Long, Social Affairs Editor, Channel 4 (Chair)
Progression in the professions
Tuesday 2nd October 2018: 08:45-10:00
This event is by invitation only
Robert Buckland QC MP, Solicitor General
Simon Woolley, Chair, No 10 Race Disparity Advisory Group
Jane Malcolm, Executive Director, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Improving the quantity and quality of apprenticeships
Tuesday 2nd October 2018: 10:15-11:45
This event is by invitation only
Richard Harrington MP, Minister for Business and Industry
Sian Griffiths, Education Editor, The Sunday Times
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Stop-and-search: effective or divisive?
Tuesday 2nd October 2018: 10:45-12:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
John Howell MP, Member, Justice Select Committee
Rory Geoghegan, Head of Criminal Justice, Centre for Social Justice
Katrina Ffrench, Chief Executive, StopWatch
David Jamieson, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner
Nick Glynn, Senior Programme Officer, Open Society Foundation
Rachel Johnson, Non-executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Building an economy that works for everyone – how to get a good deal for low-paid workers
Tuesday 2nd October 2018: 12:45-14:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
George Freeman MP, Chair, Conservative Policy Forum
Baroness Stroud, CEO, Legatum Institute
Kate Andrews, Associate Director, Institute of Economic Affairs
Owen Jones, Columnist, The Guardian
Tess Lanning, Director, Living Wage Foundation
Jessica Prestidge, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)
Top of the mind? Young people and mental health
Tuesday 2nd October 2018: 15:15-16:30
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Anne-Marie Treveleyan MP, PPS, Department for Education
Prof Russell Viner, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Dr Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive, the Early Intervention Foundation
David Gold, Director of Public Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail
Julie Bentley, CEO, Action for Children
Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Transcending the trilemma: the future of UK energy
Tuesday 2nd October 2018: 17:45 – 19:00
Jury’s Inn Birmingham, Room 112
Peter Aldous MP, Chair, Intelligent Energy APPG
Luke Graham MP, Member, Public Accounts Select Committee
Peter Atherton, Associate, FTI Consulting
Dr Simon Evans, Policy Editor, Carbon Brief
Matthew Fell, Chief UK Policy Director, CBI
Colin Baines, Investment Engagement Manager, Friends Provident Foundation
Alexandra Jezeph, Non-Executive Director, Bright Blue (Chair)
Bright Blue’s think forums are run by our members and are spaces for those on the centre-right to come together to chat about politics and discuss policy.
For this forum, we welcome three guest speakers: Stephen Joseph (former CEO, Campaign for Better Transport), Wil Barber (London Electric Vehicles Company, manufacturers of the new London black cab), and Dustin Benton (Policy Director, Green Alliance).
The Government has strict, legally binding targets for carbon emissions. If it is going to successfully meet them, it will likely need to oversee a radical decarbonisation of the UK’s transportation sector. Promisingly, the sector already appears to be in the early stages of a wave of technology-led innovation, with electric cars, driverless vehicles and bike hire apps just a few examples of new products coming to market which have huge potential to cut the carbon footprint of getting around.
Key questions:
- How much should policymakers try to influence consumers’ choices between competing forms of transport, in the hope that we arrive at a much greener destination?
- Where Government attention is needed, are there conflicts between environmental considerations and other policy goals, such as deficit reduction?
Date: Wednesday 5th September, 2018, 19.00 – 20.30
Venue: Rose & Crown, 47 Colombo Street, Blackfriars, London SE1 8DP
RSVP: Here
Our drink tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas.
For our Summer drink tank we welcome Chris Skidmore MP as our guest speaker. Chris Skidmore has been the MP for Kingswood since 2010 and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Conservative Party for Policy. Before that, he was Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Cabinet office serving as Minister for the Constitution.
Date: Wednesday July 18th, 2018, 19.00 – 22.00
Venue: The Spying Room, Morpeth Arms, 58 Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RW
RSVP: Here
Bright Blue’s Fighting for Freedom? Conservatism, human rights and discrimination conference will explore and champion centre-right approaches to tackling all forms of discrimination in education, employment and wider society as part of the Prime Minister’s ‘Burning injustices’ agenda, and to strengthening human rights overseas as part of the Government’s post-Brexit ‘Global Britain strategy’.
Agenda
08.45am Registration
09.00am Keynote speech by Dr Phillip Lee MP, the Minister for Human Rights
10.15am Panel discussion on ‘Tackling discrimination in the UK’
Speakers:
- The Rt Hon Maria Miller MP Chair, Women and Equalities Select Committee
- David Isaac Chair, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Simon Woolley Chair, Government’s Race Disparity Audit Advisory Group
- Sir Michael Tugendhat Former High Court Judge and author of Bright Blue’s Fighting for Freedom?
- Olivia Utley Communications Manager, Bright Blue (Chair)
11.30am Panel discussion on ‘Championing human rights overseas’
Speakers:
- The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP Former Secretary of State for International Development
- Kate Allen Director, Amnesty International
- Benedict Rogers Co-founder, Conservative Party Human Rights Commission
- Anthony Smith Chief Executive, Westminster Foundation for Democracy
- Ryan Shorthouse Director, Bright Blue
- Anna Williams, Former Head of BBC World News (Chair)
12.30pm Networking lunch
Date and time: Tuesday 12th June, 2018, 08.45-13.30
Location: British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James, London, SW1Y 5AH
RSVP: This event is free and open to all, but pre-registration through Eventbrite is required. Please RSVP here.
Kindly supported by:
Our drink tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas.
For our Leeds drink tank we welcome Stuart Andrew MP as our guest speaker. Stuart Andrew has been the MP for Pudsey since 2010 and is currently an Assistant Government Whip and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales. He is a patron of LGBT+ Conservatives.
Date: Wednesday 13th June, 2018, 19.00 – 22.00
Venue: Room 2, Leeds University Union, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JZ
RSVP: Here
Bright Blue’s think forums are run by our members and are spaces for those on the centre-right to come together to chat about politics and discuss policy.
For this forum, we welcome guest speakers Stuart Goodall (Chief Executive of Confor) and James Cooper (Head of Government Affairs at the Woodland Trust).
Both speakers will be making the case for more forests in Britain and their vision of how we get there – whether that be through public, private or charity funding, cultivating natural forests for solely environmental purposes or industrially productive forests.
With the sustainable private forestry industry in the UK booming, the health and environmental benefits of woodlands undeniable, and high public support for further conservation, the case may seem clear. However with many ancient forests under threat, government planting targets being missed, and a higher than ever pressure on land use from agriculture and home building, how can we ensure a vision of a more forested Britain is actually achieved?
Key questions:
- What is the impact and how effective are current policies?
- Does the private sector have a role to play in long-term planning?
- What is the role and function of new forests?
Date: Thursday 17th May, 2018, 19.00 – 20.30
Venue: Boot & Flogger (downstairs), 10-20 Redcross Way, Southwark, SE1 1TA
RSVP: Here
