CIHT Chief Executive and Public Affairs Manager attended Labour Party Conference 2026 to engage with key stakeholders and policymakers.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
On behalf of the Institution, Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, and Liberty Hibberd, Public Affairs Manager, attended the Labour Party Conference 2026 in Liverpool.
Labour Party Conference 2026 was an even more significant event in the political calendar this year due to it being the first conference following Andy Burnham MP becoming the Prime Minister and the leader of the Labour Party.
Activity this year included CIHT hosting a fringe panel event for the first time in recent years, providing an opportunity for the Institution to bring together key voices from across the transport sector and contribute to discussions on the future of transport investment.
CIHT’s fringe event ‘Beyond Potholes: Investing in Transport, Investing in Britain’, brought together voices from across the transport sector to call for a shift from short-term pothole repairs towards long-term, place-based transport investment.
More information about CIHT’s Labour Party Conference fringe event is available to read here.
Other activity included attending several transport-related fringe events and receptions, as well as engaging with key stakeholders to explore opportunities for increasing cross-industry and inter-industry collaboration with CIHT at a critical time for transport.
CIHT caught up with many key stakeholders and elected officials, including:
Secretary of State for Transport – Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP
Minister for Buses and Local Transport – Simon Lightwood MP
Minister for Roads – Justin Madders MP
Mike Reader MP
West of England Combined Authority – Director of Transport, Emma Blackham
Transport East – Head of External Affairs, Esme Yuill
Association of Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) – Director of Policy, Marie-Claude Hemming
Women in Transport – Chair, Jo Field OBE
Transport and Environment – Interim Director, Tim Dexter
Octavius Infrastructure (CIHT Affiliate Partner) – Director of Strategic Growth, David Bedell
Royal Town Planning Institute – CEO, Dr Victoria Hills
FREE NOW – Public Affairs Lead, UK & Ireland, Sam Pooke
The conference provided an important opportunity for the new government administration to outline its priorities, establish its direction and communicate parts of its policy programme to Labour members, Parliament and the wider public. The conference provided an early indication of the policies and priorities that would shape the new government.
CIHT’s Council and Board of Trustees have asked the Institution to increase its visibility and activity with governments and key stakeholders. Over the past 18 months, CIHT has been building and maintaining key relationships and engaging with the UK Government on issues that matter to the transport sector and our members.
Attending Labour Party Conference 2026 and hosting a fringe event provided an important opportunity for CIHT to strengthen these relationships, ensure transport remains part of the conversation around delivering the UK Government’s aspirations and agenda, and to share and highlight the views of our members with the current UK administration.
The conference also provided an opportunity for CIHT to demonstrate the breadth of expertise across the transport sector, convene key stakeholders and reinforce the Institution’s role as a leading professional voice on the future of transport.
Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive CIHT
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
{{item.AuthorName}} {{item.AuthorName}} says on {{item.DateFormattedString}}: