The Labour Party Annual Conference 2025

SME4Labour and RHA fringe: DELIVERING FOR THE NATION: THE WEST MIDLANDS ROLE IN TRAINING THE TRANSPORT WORKFORCE

How can we build the skilled transport workforce the nation needs? Join the RHA, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, and senior Labour figures to discuss the vital role of logistics in delivering economic growth and skills at a regional level.

Speakers:

• Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands
• The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
• Dr Fiona Aldridge, Chief Executive Officer ,Skills Federation
• Dave Robertson MP, MP for Lichfield
• Lee Barron, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire

Chair: Rachel Taylor MP, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth

Tickets are free, but booking is required via https://www.sme4labour.org/delivering_for_the_nation

This event is in the secure zone, so you will need a conference pass to access it.

Date: Monday, 29 September 2025

Time: 12:00

Location: SME4Labour POD (Arena Room - Thames), ACC Liverpool, Kings Dock Street, Liverpool, England, L3 4FP

Please note: This event will be recorded for distribution through SME4Labour and its partners’ social media channels. All audience members agree to the possibility of appearing on these recordings by virtue of attending the event or participating in the event.

Bios:

Richard Parker

Richard Parker is the Labour and Co-operative Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Elected in 2024, Richard is focused on delivering his four key priorities: jobs, homes, growth and journeys for everyone.

Since taking office, Richard has championed the West Midlands as a prime destination for global investment and innovation. He has secured £5 billion for the West Midlands Investment Zone to create 30,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing, green energy, and health-tech. Richard is also leading efforts to deliver 20,000 new social homes over the next decade, while training local people for jobs in key growth sectors. His Youth Plan is equipping the next generation with the skills needed to support business growth and drive the regional economy forward. Additionally, he is working to transform the bus network, aiming to make it more efficient and reliable to better connect people with jobs, services, and opportunities.

Dr Fiona Aldridge

Fiona is the Chief Executive at Skills Federation, the voice of employer-led sector skills bodies. Alongside this role, she is also a Skills England Board Member; a Non-Executive Director at Youth Futures Foundation, the What Works Centre for youth employment; and a member of the Mayor of the West Midlands’ Council of Experts. She has more than 25 years' experience of developing and implementing evidence-based policies and programmes across lifelong learning, skills and employment.

Prior to her current role, Fiona was Head of Insights and Intelligence at West Midlands Combined Authority, where she led the development of its Employment and Skills Strategy and on negotiations for the employment, skills and careers elements of the WMCA trailblazer devolution deal. She was previously Director of Policy and Research at Learning and Work Institute.

The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North

Liam Byrne is the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North. He has held a number of prominent roles in government and opposition, including as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and a Minister for the Cabinet Office. He is currently the Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee and also serves as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Inclusive Growth. Mr Byrne is an Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham and a former Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

Dave Robertson MP, MP for Lichfield

Dave Robertson is the Member of Parliament for Lichfield, elected in 2024. He has a background in education, having taught physics and astronomy, and in trade unionism, where he served as a union organiser for the NASUWT. Before his election to Parliament, Mr Robertson was a member of Lichfield District Council.

Lee Barron MP, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire

Lee Barron is the Member of Parliament for Corby and East Northamptonshire, elected in 2024. Prior to entering Parliament, Mr Barron was a long-serving trade unionist, including a period as the Midlands Regional Secretary for the Trade Union Congress (TUC), where he represented over one million workers. He has also been a Northampton magistrate for over twenty years and served as a local councillor.

Rachel Taylor MP, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth

Rachel Taylor is the Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire and Bedworth and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Freight and Logistics. Before her election in 2024, she worked as a property solicitor and as a local councillor. Ms Taylor has a notable background in grassroots sports, having served as a line judge and umpire at Wimbledon. She is a member of the Women and Equality Select Committee.