Labour Party Conference

Sunday 22 September, 17.00-18.30 (Pavilion, The Grand)

At this year's Labour's Party Conference we are pleased to host 'Unpacking Environmentalism'. The environment remains at the forefront of political debate and yet it seems to encompass anything and everything. This event looks to provide context to the debate and establish what is really meant by the environment.

Location: Brighton

Venue: Pavilion room, Grand Hotel (inside the secure zone)

Date: Sunday 22 September

Time: 17.00 – 18.30

Refreshment: Drinks and canapés

Polling has shown that the environment is one of the issues that voters care about most, particularly younger voters. What is less well understood is what people think about when talking about the environment. A wide range of issues from deforestation and soil erosion to meat consumption and animal rights have all been described as environmental issues. In order to address environmental concerns, we must provide some context to the debate. What do most people believe should be the priority for action on the environment, and how should Labour address these challenges in government?

CHAIR: Abi Kay @FGAbiKay

Abi took up the post of Chief Reporter at Farmers Guardian in 2016 after a stint working for the NFU as part of its government affairs team. Prior to that, she spent five years in Parliament as an assistant to a rural MP.

SPEAKER 1: Tim Bonner @CA_TimB

Tim is Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance. He used to farm in the West Country and joined the Countryside Alliance as a press officer in 2002 at the time of the Liberty and Livelihood March which brought 400,000 people to London to protest against the hunting ban. He became Chief Executive in September 2015 and continues to play a leading role in the campaigning work of the Alliance.

SPEAKER 2: Luke Pollard MP @LukePollard

Luke is the MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport and Shadow Fisheries, Flooding and Water Minister. Before being elected in 2017 Luke was the Director for Field Consulting, a specialist firm advising companies on building projects. He has also held positions at Edelman and ABTA as well as roles within the Labour Party.

SPEAKER 3: Shaun Spiers @ShaunSpiers1

Shaun is the Executive Director of Green Alliance UK and a former MEP. When MEP Shaun served on the Agriculture and Rural Development committee. For 13 years Shaun was the Chief Executive for Campaign to Protect Rural England. He is also author of How to build houses and save the countryside.

SPEAKER 4: Johnny Heald @ORB_Johnny

Johnny is the Managing Director at ORB International. He has more than 15 years experience in Countering Violence Extremism research with emphasis on modelling drivers of vulnerability. Johnny has also provided private polling to the Conservative Party during the 2005 and 2010 UK general elections.

Please note that this event is being recorded and live streamed on social media.

Download a PDF of the event information here.