A Tale of Two Conferences | Faiza Shaheen

Something has shifted in British politics. That was the overwhelming feeling our team came away with after Labour’s conference in Liverpool and the Greens’ in Brighton. We were everywhere. I spoke on seven panels across two days, while Caitlin and Joe represented us at a host of other events, discussions with MPs, party members, trade unions, and movement partners. Between us, we must have spoken to hundreds of people, and it’s clear there is a growing appetite to rewrite Britain’s broken tax system.

From vibes to vision

Andy Burnham’s speech at Labour’s conference felt like a genuine shift from previous years. It was a move away from Starmer’s divisive, pandering remarks, towards a more unifying message. Let’s not forget, it was only at the last conference that campaigners for wealth taxes were referred to as “snake oil merchants” by the then Prime Minister. And while Burnham’s early months in Downing Street have often been described as being high on “vibes”, this speech felt much more like a shift to vision. There were all sorts of bold promises and commitments, from a National Care Service to overhauling our energy system to bring down bills, from getting more power out of Westminster to looking again at our voting system and how we can have greater control over essential services.

It was genuinely refreshing to see a Prime Minister focus on returning power from boardrooms and billionaires to communities and families. Taken at face value, these are all things we can get behind, and that our wider movement of organisations has been campaigning on for years. It’s important we celebrate these wins. They would not have happened without years of graft by progressive movements pushing these ideas into the political mainstream. But here’s the kicker: most of these policies are being talked about as measures for the next parliament, and there was little detail on how this ambitious agenda would actually be financed and delivered. In fact, neither the Prime Minister nor the Chancellor seriously addressed tax or wealth inequality in their speeches.

As we head towards a Budget that’s supposed to address both the immediate pressures facing families and the structural changes needed to build a fairer Britain, that needs to change. The reality is that we can’t fund national renewal with cuts. If Burnham is serious about delivering his vision, the Budget must ask those with the broadest shoulders to contribute more, from the mega-rich to the biggest corporations. That’s not just the fairest way to fund the investment Britain needs; it would also show he’s serious about ending the era of big money and vested interests calling the shots.

From the fringes, to the heart

That tension came up repeatedly in conversations across both conferences. Our Labour Conference event, held jointly with Patriotic Millionaires UK, brought together experts to discuss new and emerging research on progressive tax reform. Topics ranged from the effective tax rates paid by the very richest to HMRC’s ability, or inability, to properly measure and collect tax. We also shared early findings from our forthcoming research into politicians’ perceptions of wealth taxation and the barriers that continue to stand in the way of reform, so watch this space as that report is nearly ready.

Meanwhile, the Green Party Conference had a noticeably different energy. Progressive economics felt central to discussions throughout the weekend and the events focusing on tax justice were among the best attended. Our event with PMUK on how to win a wealth tax packed out a 200-seat room, with people standing around the edges, applause regularly breaking out, and more questions than we had time to answer.

Most strikingly, there was broad agreement across both conferences. People welcomed much of what they heard from Burnham and many felt it marked genuine progress, but there was also widespread scepticism about whether any of it could happen without confronting wealth inequality. The vision is becoming clearer, but we need to see Burnham opt for the right route to delivering on that vision.

Why reform keeps getting stuck

That question of delivery is where politics so often runs aground. Britain’s problems aren’t just the result of politicians lacking good ideas. They’re the result of a political system where concentrated wealth has enormous influence over what governments can and cannot do. Wanting to act is one thing; taking on billionaire-owned newspapers, corporate lobbyists, wealthy donors and institutions built to protect the status quo, is another. Time and again, good ideas collide with entrenched power, leaving ambitious promises watered down, delayed or abandoned. We absolutely can make change happen, but we have to be clear what we’re up against.