Reflections on the 2024 Labour Conference: change or business as usual?
Billy Vaughan reflects on the Labour Party conference 2024.
If, as William Penn said, "true silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body", then I suspect there are many attendees at the Labour conference in need of spiritual rest. As soon as I stepped onto the platform at Euston on Sunday morning the air of urgency was obvious. The train was packed with party members bumping shoulders with professional lobbyists, which made for some interesting overheard conversations.
The conference overall was energetic and lively, but different sentiments lurked beneath the surface. There was a noticeable contrast between the Labour politicians and party members still surfing the wave of euphoria following their election victory, and the lobbyists who were more circumspect and focussed more on what was coming next. 'Change' was the word of the week, but it was clear that people had different ideas of what this change might entail, and where it might lead.
Bearing witness
At the heart of our work as Quakers is the call to be "patterns and examples". In that vein, it was heartening to see an incredible six Quakers from across different parties elected in this latest Parliament. I got the chance to listen to two of them who were speaking at fringe events at the conference. Newly elected MP Yuan Yang spoke at an event organised by War on Want, arguing against austerity economics and for higher public investment.
Catherine West MP also spoke at the Rally for Human Rights organised by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Liberty. As a Minister at the Foreign Office, she spoke about her role in restating the UK's commitment to international law and standing up to human rights abuses.
Later that day was the Faith Reception, hosted by Labour Faith Envoy Stephen Timms and Faith Minister Wajid Khan. It was a pleasant event and a good opportunity for representatives of all faiths to get together. Khan said that he is willing to talk to "anyone in this room" about faith matters and we hope to meet him soon to discuss our priorities. We are already missing the work of the Inter Faith Network, whose funding was ended by the previous government, and we would welcome a clearer understanding of how a Labour government intends to support interfaith relations.
I had the chance to attend several sessions on social justice. It was inspiring to hear passionate conversations about addressing inequality, poverty, and the cost-of-living crisis. The Labour government seems genuinely committed to tackling these issues, but as Quakers, we know that commitment alone isn't enough. What's required is sustained action.
Conversations and reflections
Of course, the conference wasn't all solemn discussions and weighty decisions. There were lighter moments too. I found myself gently explaining to a perplexed fellow delegate that, no, Quakers do not in fact wear hats, or sit in silence all day. It was satisfying to explain what Quakers stand for and who they are: people of action, whether it's pushing for peacebuilding efforts in conflict zones or standing in solidarity with communities facing discrimination. It was wonderful to see so many others at the conference committed to the same values, even if we arrive at them from different starting points.
As the conference drew to a close, I took a moment to sit quietly, reflecting on the last few days. Labour is taking on enormous challenges – economic inequality, a divided nation and a planet in climate crisis. How to tackle these challenges seems up for debate and how civil society should campaign effectively around these challenges is also contested. Given Friends' history of activism and speaking truth to power we call on this government to recognise the vital role of peaceful protest as an important way for people to participate in democracy and for society to achieve positive change.
Looking ahead
Whatever the political climate, for Quakers in Britain, the work continues. We'll keep engaging with all parties and all governments, encouraging policies that promote peace, justice, and sustainability.
As we head into the next few months of this new government, we will be keeping an eye on how Labour translates their promises into policies that treat everyone with dignity, as true equals. Our role, as ever, is to offer our quiet yet persistent voice for a fairer, more peaceful society.
From Friends House and across the country, we need to keep the conversation going on causes and policies that matter to us and those we uphold. Whether it's in the Houses of Parliament, at the next Labour conference, or in our local communities, we'll continue to work for a fairer, more peaceful society. After all, change comes in many forms – it can sometimes come in electoral landslides, but as Friends know well, it can also happen slowly, piece by piece.
