Labour Party Conference 2026 · Liverpool
The voice of small business at the heart of conference
SME4Labour returns to Labour Party Conference with our biggest programme yet — a full day of fringes at the SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool, plus exclusive lunches across the week, bringing together ministers, MPs, business leaders, trade unions and policymakers.
Our 2026 programme
Fringe events & lunches
Join us for a packed programme of panel discussions, receptions and exclusive lunches on the issues that matter to the UK’s 5.5 million small and medium-sized businesses.
Monday 28th September
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
08:30 – 09:30
Panel Full
Energising Enterprise E.ON Business Energy Breakfast
SME4Labour in partnership with E.ON UK
Chair: Leigh Ingham MP
- Martin McCluskey MP
- Anthony Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer, npower Business Solutions
- Dave Robertson MP
- Luke Murphy MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
09:45 – 10:45
Panel Full
Britain's High Streets: How Do We Save Our Town Centres?
SME4Labour in partnership with Deliveroo
Chair: David Burton-Sampson MP
- Beth Miller, Head of Public Affairs, UK&IE (Deliveroo)
- Jayne Kirkham MP
- Mayor Forhad Hussain
- Dr Sam Rushworth MP
- Jim McMahon OBE MP
- Graeme Craig, CEO of Places for London (TfL)
- Jessica Toale MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
11:00 – 11:45
The New Industrial Strategy: How Do We Deliver Growth for the Real Economy?
SME4Labour in partnership with Allica Bank
Chair: Alison Taylor MP
- Conrad Ford, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Allica Bank
- Perran Moon MP
- Lucy Rigby MP
- Sonia Kumar MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
12:00 – 12:45
Connecting the UK to International Markets: Road Haulage, Trade and Growth
SME4Labour in partnership with Road Haulage Association
Chair: Rachel Taylor MP
- Declan Pang, Director of Public Affairs, Road Haulage Association
- Marco Forgione, Director General, Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade
- Gareth Thomas MP
- Oliver Ryan MP
- Ruth Cadbury MP
White Tiger Restaurant
12:00 – 14:00
Annual SME4Labour Conference Lunch
SME4Labour in partnership with British Muslim Friends of Labour
Chair: Shokat Ali
- Blair McDougall MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
13:00 – 13:45
Britain's Food Security: From Farm to Fork in an Uncertain World
SME4Labour
Chair: Daniel Zeichner MP
- Dave Robertson MP
- Sue Pritchard (FFCC)
- Chris Hinchliff MP
- Terry Jermy MP
- James Bielby, CEO of FWD
- Ali Capper
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
14:00 – 14:45
Panel Full
Building the Future: Housing Delivery and Planning Reform
SME4Labour
Chair: Margaret Mullane MP
- Fabian Hamilton MP
- Mayor Forhad Hussain
- Patrick English (YouGov)
- Amit Singh, St Michaels Advisory
- Chris Hinchliff MP
- Emily Darlington MP
- Neil Hook, Head of Development at Places for London (TfL)
White Tiger Restaurant
15:00 – 16:00
Building the New Syria: The Kurdish Role in an Inclusive Future
SME4Labour in Partnership with Kurdish Progress and Kurds for Labour
Chair: Peter Lamb MP
- Hassan Mohammad Ali, Syrian Democratic Council
- Feryal Clark MP
- Bambos Charalambous MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
16:00 – 16:45
Resetting UK Energy Policy: Reducing Import Reliance, Protecting British Jobs and Powering Economic Growth
SME4Labour in partnership with Enquest
- Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary
- Amjad Bseisu, Enquest Energy CEO
- Dale Vince, Ecotricity
- Kathryn Porter, Watt-Logic
White Tiger Restaurant
16:00 – 17:00
A New Chapter for Turkey? Peace, Democracy and the Kurdish Question
SME4Labour in Partnership with Ceftus
Chair: Sarbaz Barzinji
- Khalid Mahmood
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
17:00 – 17:45
AI for Public Good: Harnessing Technology for Better Public Services
SME4Labour
Chair: Feryal Clark MP
- Vicki Sellick, CEO of Good Things Foundation
- Dave Robertson MP
- Neil Duncan-Jordan MP
- Dan Price
- Jason Kennedy, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Skyral
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
18:00 – 18:45
On The Cusp of a cure for Glioblastoma Brain Tumours
SME4Labour in Partnership with Margaret's Legacy Campaign
Chair: Dr Scott Arthur MP
- James Frith MP
- Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP
- Dr Paul Mulholland
- Sara Sjölund
- Nicola Nuttall
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
19:00 – 21:00
SME4Labour Conference Reception: Celebrating Small Business at the Heart of Labour
SME4Labour, co-sponsored by the Road Haulage Association
Chair: Cllr Ibrahim Dogus
- Amanda Martin MP
- Hamish Falconer MP
- Zubir Ahmed MP
- Torcuil Crichton MP
- John Grady MP
- Georgiana Bristol, CEO of Jobs Foundation
- Lucy Powell MP
- Alison Taylor MP
Tuesday 29th September
White Tiger Restaurant
12:00 – 14:00
Labour Home & Labour Friends Groups Lunch
SME4Labour in partnership with LabourHome
Chair: Cllr Shahid Nadeem
- Virendra Sharma
- Rupa Huq MP
- Dr Zubir Ahmed MP
- Tan Dhesi MP
- Adam Jogee MP
- Afzal Khan MP
Labour Party Conference 2026 · Liverpool
The voice of small business at the heart of conference
SME4Labour returns to Labour Party Conference with our biggest programme yet — a full day of fringes at the SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool, plus exclusive lunches across the week, bringing together ministers, MPs, business leaders, trade unions and policymakers.
Our 2026 programme
Fringe events & lunches
Join us for a packed programme of panel discussions, receptions and exclusive lunches on the issues that matter to the UK’s 5.5 million small and medium-sized businesses.
Monday 28th September
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
08:30 – 09:30
Panel Full
Energising Enterprise E.ON Business Energy Breakfast
SME4Labour in partnership with E.ON UK
Chair: Leigh Ingham MP
- Martin McCluskey MP
- Anthony Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer, npower Business Solutions
- Dave Robertson MP
- Luke Murphy MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
09:45 – 10:45
Panel Full
Britain's High Streets: How Do We Save Our Town Centres?
SME4Labour in partnership with Deliveroo
Chair: David Burton-Sampson MP
- Beth Miller, Head of Public Affairs, UK&IE (Deliveroo)
- Jayne Kirkham MP
- Mayor Forhad Hussain
- Dr Sam Rushworth MP
- Jim McMahon OBE MP
- Graeme Craig, CEO of Places for London (TfL)
- Jessica Toale MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
11:00 – 11:45
The New Industrial Strategy: How Do We Deliver Growth for the Real Economy?
SME4Labour in partnership with Allica Bank
Chair: Alison Taylor MP
- Conrad Ford, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Allica Bank
- Perran Moon MP
- Lucy Rigby MP
- Sonia Kumar MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
12:00 – 12:45
Connecting the UK to International Markets: Road Haulage, Trade and Growth
SME4Labour in partnership with Road Haulage Association
Chair: Rachel Taylor MP
- Declan Pang, Director of Public Affairs, Road Haulage Association
- Marco Forgione, Director General, Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade
- Gareth Thomas MP
- Oliver Ryan MP
- Ruth Cadbury MP
White Tiger Restaurant
12:00 – 14:00
Annual SME4Labour Conference Lunch
SME4Labour in partnership with British Muslim Friends of Labour
Chair: Shokat Ali
- Blair McDougall MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
13:00 – 13:45
Britain's Food Security: From Farm to Fork in an Uncertain World
SME4Labour
Chair: Daniel Zeichner MP
- Dave Robertson MP
- Sue Pritchard (FFCC)
- Chris Hinchliff MP
- Terry Jermy MP
- James Bielby, CEO of FWD
- Ali Capper
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
14:00 – 14:45
Panel Full
Building the Future: Housing Delivery and Planning Reform
SME4Labour
Chair: Margaret Mullane MP
- Fabian Hamilton MP
- Mayor Forhad Hussain
- Patrick English (YouGov)
- Amit Singh, St Michaels Advisory
- Chris Hinchliff MP
- Emily Darlington MP
- Neil Hook, Head of Development at Places for London (TfL)
White Tiger Restaurant
15:00 – 16:00
Building the New Syria: The Kurdish Role in an Inclusive Future
SME4Labour in Partnership with Kurdish Progress and Kurds for Labour
Chair: Peter Lamb MP
- Hassan Mohammad Ali, Syrian Democratic Council
- Feryal Clark MP
- Bambos Charalambous MP
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
16:00 – 16:45
Resetting UK Energy Policy: Reducing Import Reliance, Protecting British Jobs and Powering Economic Growth
SME4Labour in partnership with Enquest
- Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary
- Amjad Bseisu, Enquest Energy CEO
- Dale Vince, Ecotricity
- Kathryn Porter, Watt-Logic
White Tiger Restaurant
16:00 – 17:00
A New Chapter for Turkey? Peace, Democracy and the Kurdish Question
SME4Labour in Partnership with Ceftus
Chair: Sarbaz Barzinji
- Khalid Mahmood
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
17:00 – 17:45
AI for Public Good: Harnessing Technology for Better Public Services
SME4Labour
Chair: Feryal Clark MP
- Vicki Sellick, CEO of Good Things Foundation
- Dave Robertson MP
- Neil Duncan-Jordan MP
- Dan Price
- Jason Kennedy, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Skyral
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
18:00 – 18:45
On The Cusp of a cure for Glioblastoma Brain Tumours
SME4Labour in Partnership with Margaret's Legacy Campaign
Chair: Dr Scott Arthur MP
- James Frith MP
- Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP
- Dr Paul Mulholland
- Sara Sjölund
- Nicola Nuttall
SME4Labour Pod, ACC Liverpool
19:00 – 21:00
SME4Labour Conference Reception: Celebrating Small Business at the Heart of Labour
SME4Labour, co-sponsored by the Road Haulage Association
Chair: Cllr Ibrahim Dogus
- Amanda Martin MP
- Hamish Falconer MP
- Zubir Ahmed MP
- Torcuil Crichton MP
- John Grady MP
- Georgiana Bristol, CEO of Jobs Foundation
- Lucy Powell MP
- Alison Taylor MP
Tuesday 29th September
White Tiger Restaurant
12:00 – 14:00
Labour Home & Labour Friends Groups Lunch
SME4Labour in partnership with LabourHome
Chair: Cllr Shahid Nadeem
- Virendra Sharma
- Rupa Huq MP
- Dr Zubir Ahmed MP
- Tan Dhesi MP
- Adam Jogee MP
- Afzal Khan MP