UBBC at Labour conference
- aabramauskaite
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
It could be argued that one of the more successful areas of Labour government has been its foreign policy- keeping USA on side, ensuring the UK has lower trade tariffs than most countries and facilitating $150bn Inward tech investment, enabling a $12bn trade deal with Iraq, recognising Palestine and getting closer reset with the EU and continuing support for Ukraine.
Which is surprising that the conference was very focused on whether Mr Starmer would survive a leadership challenge, The Climate crisis, many local national issues, and foreign policy discussions that centred almost entirely on Gaza and getting close to the EU. In short, any strategic insights into wider foreign policy, even relationships with USA, or defence, were overlooked.#
However, there was some recognition and presence of Ukraine, largely through Yvette Cooper MP the new Foreign Secretary, who made an explicit and emphatic statement that the Uk would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. The EU ambassadors event enabled UBBC to meet the Ambassador from Poland, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria .Tan Dhesi MP, head of the select committee on defence spoke about the importance of security to countries, and how defence discussions lead to friendships and collaboration with the UK, and Ukraine is high on his agenda. UBBC shook hands with the new Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper and spoke with her new PPS Katherine Atkinson. Open labour’s Alex Sopel MP and Annalisa Dodds MP spoke about the defence of democracy, and two Ukrainian MPs, Oleksandr Sanchenko, overseeing Creative industry collaboration and Vasylchenko Halyna Ivanivna MP, who is on the finance committee spoke of the importance of support.
Wider areas of interest included a strong Tech profile through the Startup Coalition, where very high-profile UK tech actors discussed AI and how Uk can become an AI superpower, drive growth, modernise the state and all ministries like the NHS- including discussion from the impressive AI minister Kanishka Narayan MP: Nvidia and Encel.
The challenge to Kier Starmer from Andy Burnham did not materialise and can be seen as positioning from Mr Burnham for the future, lest Starmer falters. We attended an intelligent trade panel with discussions from International Chambers of Commerce (with whom we will be following up) CITP (centre for inclusive trade policy) at Sussex University, where it’s clear there needs to be a more strategic approach to trade and where the UK should focus its DBT and Foreign policy efforts. The Halo trust (mine advisory and operating in Ukraine) event attracted Baroness Chapman, the development minister, who suggested the development budget would be cut but try to retain focus on Women and children.
