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The best events at Tory conference 2022

(Photo by Stefan Rousseau - Pool/Getty Images)

Well it’s that time of year again. Fresh from internecine civil war, the Tory party will drag itself together again this weekend for another Conservative Party Conference, this year held in the great city of Birmingham. Mr S has done some scanning and it appears that Michael Gove takes the gong for most scheduled appearances this year with nine – watch out Liz. Kemi Badenoch and Jacob Rees-Mogg are meanwhile due to make six, with Tom Tugendhat and Suella Braverman making five and four respectively. Below is Steerpike’s guide to the best events listed for this week’s Tory conference.

SUNDAY – 2ND OCTOBER

Chopper’s politics live

Time: 13.00 – 14.00

Location: Centenary Square, PLMR Business Hub

Speakers: Christopher Hope, Daily Telegraph, Michael Gove MP, Jake Berry MP, Party Chair

Onward: In Conversation

Time: 13.45 – 14.45

Location: Executive room 8, ICC

Speakers: Iain Dale, LBC, Ben Wallace MP, Defence Secretary

Conservative Friends of Ukraine reception

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Location: Hall 11, ICC

Speakers: James Cleverly MP, Foreign Secretary, Ben Wallace MP, Defence Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP, Health minister, Vadym Prystaiko, Ukrainian ambassador

The Spectator Conference Launch

Time: 16.30 – 17.30

Location: Hall 7 (Secure Zone)

Conservative Friends of Israel reception

Time: 20.30 – 21.30

Location: Hall 11, ICC

Speakers: Senior Cabinet minister, Vadym Prystaiko, Israeli ambassador, Lord Pickles, CFI chairman Lords, Stephen Crabb MP, CFI chairman Commons

Bright Blue drink tank

Time: 20:30 – 21:30

Location: Hall 8, ICC

Speakers: Nadhim Zahawi MP, Cabinet Office minister, Tom Tugendhat MP, security minister

MONDAY – 3RD OCTOBER

Energy Crisis: Can the UK afford Net-Zero?

Time: 10:15 – 11:15

Location: Think Tent, Centenary Square

Speakers: Steve Baker MP, Greg Smith MP, Bim Afolami MP

‘Cyber defence: ensuring security and resilience in a turbulent world’

Time: 11:00 – 12:15

Location: ConservativeHome Marquee

Chair: Henry Hill, ConservativeHome

Speakers: Tom Tugendhat MP, security minister, Simon Fell MP, Madeline Carr, UCL, Kulveer Ranger, Atos

‘What does levelling up really mean’

Time: 12.00 – 13.00

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Katy Balls

Speakers: Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor; Tony Danker, director general, CBI: Dehenna Davison MP, PUSS for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Dhara Vyas, acting CEO, EnergyUK.

Sponsor: Drax

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

Bruges Group – getting Brexit done to turn the economy around

Time: 13.00 – 14.00
Location: Lyttleton Theatre Room, Birmingham & Midland Institute

Speakers: John Redwood MP, Bill Cash MP, Andrea Jenkyns MP, Tim Congdon

‘Unleashing British trade: are Brexit powers being used to full potential’ 

Time: 14.00 – 15.00

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Katy Balls

Speakers: Kemi Badenoch MP, Secretary of State for International Trade; Anthony Mangnall MP; Baroness Mobarik; Robert Colvile, director, Centre for Policy Studies; John Carroll, ​​head of international and transactional banking, Santander. 

Sponsor: Santander 

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

The nuclear option: can nuclear power provide energy security?

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Cindy Yu

Speakers: Bim Afolami MP; Tom Greatrex, chief executive, NIA; Dhara Vyas, acting CEO, EnergyUK; Andy Mayer, energy analyst, Institute of Economic Affairs. 

Sponsor: NIA

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

Shut the Backdoor: Redrafting the Online Safety Bill

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Location: Andante, Hyatt Hotel

Chair: Emily Fielder
Speakers: Sam Ashworth-Hayes, Spectator writer, Ross Anderson, Cambridge University

A Conservative Majority for Growth: is there a supply-side coalition?

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Location: Centenary Square, Policy Exchange marquee

Chair: Juliet Samuel

Speakers: Lord Frost, Daily Telegraph, Lee Rowley MP, PUSS for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Gerard Lyons, economist

Can tech pull Britain out of its economic slump?

Time: 17.00 – 18.00

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Kate Andrews

Speakers: Chris Philip MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury; Gerard Lyons, economist; Steve Hare, CEO, Sage; Olly Batrum, Senior Analyst, Institute for Government. 

Sponsor: Sage

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

Are we losing the war on woke?

Time: 17.00 – 17.45

Location: Policy Exchange tent

Chair: Iain Mansfield

Speakers: Miriam Cates MP, Education Select Committee, Dr Tony Sewell, chair commission on race and ethnic disparities, Mercy Muroki, GB News

Out and into the world: building a more innovative Britain after Brexit

Time: 18.30 – 19.30

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Fraser Nelson

Speakers: Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Conor Burns MP, Trade minister; Mark Garnier MP; Annabel Denham, head of communications, Institute of Economic Affairs; John Boumphrey, Country Manager, Amazon.

Sponsor: Amazon

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

Blue Collar Conservatives & Common Sense Group reception

Time: 20.00 – 21.00

Location: Hall 11a, ICC

Speakers: Kemi Badenoch MP, Trade Secretary, John Hayes MP, chair Common Sense Group, Esther McVey MP, founder Blue Collar Tories

Tory Reform Group midnight reception

Time: 23.00 – 01.00

Location: Hyatt Hotel

Speakers: Jake Berry MP, party chair

TUESDAY – 4TH OCTOBER

‘Big business goes net zero: virtue-signalling greenwash or not?’

Time: 09.30 – 10.30
Location: CEN media suite, ICC

Speakers: Felicity Buchanan MP, Exchequer Secretary, Louie French MP, Bim Afolami MP

Trade and the Indo-Pacific tilt

Time: 11.15 – 12.15
Location: Policy Exchange tent

Speakers: Alexander Downer, former Australian High Commissioner, Kemi Badenoch, Trade Secretary

In conversation with Jacob Rees-Mogg

Time: 11.30 – 12.30

Location: Centenary Square, Think Tent marquee

Speakers: Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, Business Secretary, Mark Littlewood, IEA Director-General

‘Can AUKUS shift the balance in the pacific?’

Time: 11.30 – 12.30

Location: Executive 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Cindy Yu

Speakers: Tom Tugendhat MP, Security Minister; Alicia Kearns MP, Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee; Sophia Gaston, director, The British Foreign Policy Group; Sir Martin Donnelly, President, Boeing Europe.

Sponsor: Boeing

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

‘How to get Britain building’

Time: 12.00 – 13.00

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Kate Andrews

Speakers: Lee Rowley MP, Housing & Planning Minister; Muniya Barua, managing director (policy & strategy), BusinessLDN; Nicholas Boys Smith, director, Create Streets; Rob Heasman, CEO, Earl’s Court Development Company

Sponsor: Earl’s Court Development Company

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

‘How can the ‘green transition’ boost Britain’s economic growth?’

Time: 14.00 – 15.00

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: James Forsyth

Speakers: Graham Stuart MP, Minister of State for Climate; Virginia Crosbie MP; Alexander Stafford MP, APPG for net-zero; Valentine Quinio, analyst, Centre for Cities; Alison Kay, managing partner for client service, EY.

Sponsor: EY

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

‘Should we have non-doms?’

Time: 14.00 – 15.00

Location: Executive 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Katy Balls

Speakers: Andrew Griffith MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury; Fraser Nelson, editor, The Spectator; Tom Clougherty, research director, Centre for Policy Studies; Arun Advani, impact director, Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy.

Sponsor: CAGE

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

In conversation with James Cleverly MP

Time: 14.30 – 15.30

Location: ConservativeHome marquee

Chair: Anand Menon, UK in a changing Europe

Speakers: James Cleverly MP, Foreign Secretary

‘Modern conflict: can Britain fight tomorrow’s wars?’

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Location: Hall 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: Fraser Nelson

Speakers: James Heappey MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces and Veterans; Dr Liam Fox MP, Former Secretary of State for Defence; Professor Michael Clarke, visiting professor in the department of war studies, King’s College London; Louis Mosley, head, Palantir London Office.

Sponsor: Palantir

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

‘The Elgin Marbles or The Parthenon Sculptures: what is the solution?’

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Location: Executive 7, ICC (Secure Zone)

Chair: James Forsyth

Speakers: Lord Vaizey, Former Culture Minister; Sarah Baxter, columnist, Sunday Times; Lord Parkinson, former Minister for Arts; Madeline Grant, parliamentary sketchwriter for The Telegraph.

Sponsor: The Parthenon Project

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

Creating Healthy Places

Time: 18.15 – 19.15

Location: Policy Exchange tent

Speakers: Baroness Cavendish, former head No. 10 Policy Unit, James Cracknell OBE, Olympic gold medallist, Dr Caroline Johnson MP, health minister

In Conversation with Suella Braverman

Time: 18.45 -19.45

Location: Hall 7, ICC

Speakers: Suella Braverman MP, Home Secretary; Fraser Nelson, editor, Spectator.

Reserve a ticket to guarantee a seat.

Onward drinks reception

Time: 21:00

Location: Birmingham Library, the Book Rotunda

Speakers: Kemi Badenoch MP, Trade Secretary

Steerpike
Written by
Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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