Inside the party conference: the Conservatives

This week, the CLA public affairs team attended its final political conference of the year, heading to Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference.

The Conservatives have struggled to regain momentum 15 months on from their election defeat, and it now sits in third place in most political polls.

This was reflected in the noticeably lower corporate attendance at the 2025 conference, which altogether felt quieter than in previous years. In an attempt to regain the narrative, the conference was used to announce a variety of bold new policies, including proposals to scrap the Climate Change Act and abolish stamp duty. However, it is difficult to say how much these have cut through to the public.

Despite their current standing in the polls, history reminds us that it’s far too early to write off the Conservatives. The CLA’s time in Manchester proved valuable, offering opportunities to connect with senior politicians and hear the party's vision for the future of the rural economy.

The CLA participated in two panel discussions during the conference. On Monday, Senior Public Affairs Manager Eleanor Wood attended a National Rural Crime Network event on waste crime, alongside Shadow Farming Minister Robbie Moore and Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore. The fringe event revealed strong support for enabling landowners to transfer waste from their land to council sites, and raised concerns that increases in landfill tax could exacerbate fly-tipping.

On Tuesday, we hosted an event with the Conservative Rural Forum focused on growing the rural economy. CLA Director of External Affairs Jonathan Roberts joined Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Andrew Griffith and UKHospitality Chair Kate Nicholls to explore solutions, including reversing proposed changes to inheritance tax. There was also a strong emphasis on reforming government structures to ensure every part of Whitehall works effectively for rural communities.

We concluded conference season with a dinner attended by senior Conservative MPs and promising MPs from the 2024 intake. Discussions focused on reforming the water system, reviewing the role of arm-length government bodies and revisiting inheritance tax policy.

Engaging with the opposition remains an important strategy for the CLA to maintain pressure on the government. Coming out of the conference, it’s clear the Conservatives are keen to champion rural issues. The party is saying all the right things: pledging to reverse changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR), opposing expanded powers for Natural England under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and supporting the agricultural transition and future farming schemes.

But it raises two important questions.

First, why didn’t they achieve these goals while in power? Many of the MPs now criticising government policies were part of the government that introduced them. Even with Labour’s strained relationship with rural voters, many haven’t forgotten why they turned away from the Conservatives in the last election. A more effective approach might be for the party to acknowledge past missteps before going back on the offensive.

Second, is anyone listening? Despite being the official opposition, many commentators believe the party has little chance of winning the next election. As a result, its policy announcements and speeches are not gaining the traction it might expect. 

However, it was encouraging to see a genuine focus on the rural economy throughout the conference, especially from departments beyond the shadow Defra team. The Conservatives will surely hope this message resonates and helps draw a larger crowd to next year’s conference.

Altogether, the 2025 party conference season has been a success for the CLA, with the team meeting ministers and senior politicians from all parties and appearing at five fringe events.

This work ensures that the CLA is seen as a trusted partner by all political parties and allows us to shape the policy direction of both the current government and those who might be in power following the next election.

With Parliament returning next week, and the Autumn Budget on the horizon, the CLA will continue working with MPs from all political parties to secure the best outcomes for our members.