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CIHT reflects on Labour Party Conference 2025

6th Oct 2025

CIHT Chief Executive and Public Affairs Manager attended Labour Party Conference to engage with key stakeholders and policy makers.

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On behalf of the Institution, Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive and Liberty Hibberd, Public Affairs Manager, attended the Labour Party Conference 2025. This included several transportation-related fringe events and engaging with key stakeholders to explore opportunities for increasing cross-industry and inter-industry collaboration with CIHT.  

CIHT met with many key stakeholders and elected officials including:

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon Rachel Reeves

Minister Simon Lightwood MP

Minister Lilian Greenwood MP

Mayor David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire

Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, Seb Dance

Mayor Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham

South Yorkshire Combined Authority Director of Strategy Andy Gates

Transport East Head of External Affairs Esme Yuill

RTPI CEO Dr Victoria Hills

ACE - Ben Brittan, Director of Public Affairs, and Connor Bartlett, Public affairs Manager

Skanska - Anthony Arkle, Head of Public Affairs (CIHT Strategic partner)

Octavius Infrastructure – David Bedell, Director of Strategic Growth (CIHT Affiliate Partner)

For more information on these meetings please see the Public Affairs page available here.

Why were CIHT there?  

CIHT’s Council and Board of Trustees have asked for us to increase the Institution’s visibility and activity with governments and key stakeholders. Over the past 18 months CIHT has been building and maintaining key relationships and influencing the UK Government. Attending the Labour Party Conference 2025 was an opportunity to share and highlight the views of our members to members of the current UK administration.  

Fringe Events at Conference:  

Many of the fringe events attended resonated with and highlighted opinion and policy positions that CIHT has been promoting for some time.  

The link between preventative health care and transport

 Invest in public and sustainable transport for healthier lives.

The need for transport and planning to be more closely integrated

Transport needs to work for everybody (disability and accessibility)

Holistic approach to transport is necessary

Transport is the vital fabric that underpins economic growth, social inclusion, education opportunities and achieving Net Zero.

Several of the panels Sue and Liberty attended focused on rail and buses/public transport. In comparison to other topics, road transport was relatively low on the priority list for conference fringe events. Many of the fringe events were on delivery of Labour’s 1.5m new homes, economic growth, preventative healthcare and skills.  

There was much discussion relating to the passing of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the English Devolution Bill which transfers some transport related powers to local authorities. CIHT supports tailoring policies to local needs, with decisions being made by those who know their areas best, leading to a better use of resources for the different English regional economies

CIHT contributed to many Q&A sessions during fringe events, particularly in discussions relating to the delivery of new developments, new towns, the need for skills and workforce planning, and the link between active travel and health longevity.

Whilst CIHT recognises that there is a push towards the ‘green agenda’ and promoting public transport and active travel for health, motorised vehicles must remain part of these conversations. Increased connectivity and well-maintained infrastructure is vital to achieving the UK Government’s missions and the Plan for Change.

Fringe events attended included:  

The Built Environment Reception

Engineering a Green and Prosperous Future: How home-grown innovation and skills can deliver the industrial strategy’s growth ambitions

Build! How can we solve Britian’s housing and infrastructure challenge?

Clean Air Justice: Time for Labour to Lead

Defending Our Critical National Infrastructure

Delivering for the Nation: The West Midlands Role in Training the Transport Workforce

Environment vs Infrastructure: Can Good Projects Deliver for Both?

English Devolution, Empowering Local People and Local Places

It Takes a Village: Placemaking & Infrastructure Behind New Homes

Analysis of speeches at Labour Party Conference:

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP Conference speech:

The Chancellor framed transport investment as part of a broader push on infrastructure

This symbolises that the UK Government considers transport as foundational to economic renewal, regional connectivity, and employment opportunities.

There was a strong emphasis on city-region and regional connectivity rather than just national flagship projects, citing projects funded by the Chancellor at the Spending Review earlier in the year.

Reeves also highlights the historic underinvestment in infrastructure, especially in the North of England.

Although a positive speech, the Chancellor hints that tough choices will need to be made at the up coming Autumn Budget 2025. This budget is due to be delivered to Parliament on the 26 November 2025.

Key quotes:

And as we build those new railways and new roads, the new power stations and new runways, for this generation

I believe in a Britain based on opportunity.

Getting spades in the ground on new road and rail projects.

And investment, in every part of Britain.

Each day, I see a country primed for economic success.

A skilled and committed workforce.

And investment is the solution.

Overhauling our planning system.

Investment in transport – including the biggest ever investment in our city-regions.

We’re investing in Greater Manchester, with new tram stops in Bury, North Manchester, Oldham and Stockport.

And we’re investing in West Yorkshire, to power ahead with a Mass Transit system linking

To get people to work. To connect families. To create jobs.

Conference, we’re not just investing in defence and energy and transport…. That is why we are powering ahead with our commitment to build 1.5 million homes in this parliament.

A renewed economy that supports investment, that gets inflation and borrowing down, and where we build growth in every part of Britain.

The Chancellor’s full conference speech is available to read here.

Prime Minister Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP – Conference speech

The Prime Minister addressed conference, in what some political commentators are calling the speech of his career.

The speech tied transport and infrastructure to the broader vision of renewal, growth, and equality across regions and nations, not just in urban centres.

The Prime Minister reiterated not repeating past mistakes and emphasises credible, phased delivery rather than open-ended pledges.

Starmer used transport imagery in his speech to reinforce Labour’s narrative that this government will be reinforcing the country’s foundations and distinguishing this government from previous Conservative Governments, that have previously criticised for underinvestment and fragmented delivery.

Key quotes include:

A Britain built for all.

Britain needs an economy that unites. Every person… Every community…

[We are] investing in new infrastructure… A firmer foundation to take our country forward.

We want to invest in that reputation, in those skills

[We’ve supplied] record investment in Scotland and Wales…

New homes, new towns, new trainlines…

The Prime Minister’s full conference speech is available to read here.

CIHT looks forward to following up on all conference activity and continuing to engage and work with the UK Government to deliver the government’s missions, Plan for Change, delivery of 1.5m new homes, and promoting transport that benefits society, the environment, and the economy. 