Restoration @ Labour Conference 2025

AFTER SCUNTHORPE: HOW CAN A LABOUR GOVERNMENT BATTLE DEINDUSTRIALISATION?

At Labour Conference 2025 we brought together frontline industry workers and union representatives, academics, policy specialisations and experts on mutual and co-operative business models.

Since the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 government-aided reindustrialisation has become a more realistic prospect.

What can a Labour government do to protect and develop British industry, create jobs and careers in manufacturing and promote mutualism and co-operation?

Can Labour re-orient itself away from a party of degree educated graduates and toward the needs of people in trade and industry careers?

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY, BREXIT AND LABOUR TRADITION

DEINDUSTRIALISATION’S FRONTLINE
VAUXHALL AND GRANGEMOUTH

NATIONALISATION AND THE LONG TERM DAMAGE OF DEINDSTRIALISATION:
SCUNTHORPE STEEL AND COALFIELDS REGENERATION

CO-OPERATIVE MODELS OF BATTLING DEINDUSTRIALISATION FROM EUROPE

Speakers

  • Dr. Richard Johnson


    Richard Johnson is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Queen Mary University of London. He researches Labour Party history and the British constitution. He is the co-author (with Mark Garnett & Gavin Hyman) of Keeping the Red Flag Flying: The Labour Party in Opposition since 1922 (Polity, 2024). He is the co-host of the 'Since Attlee and Churchill' podcast.

  • Lewis Norton

    Lewis is regional organiser team lead at Unite. He speaks in his capacity as part of the Unite campaign team Vauxhall Luton 2024/25’

  • Kevin Larkin

    Kevin Larkin is Head Of Policy and Communications at Coalfields Regeneration Trust.


    The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a community wealth building charity operating in Britain’ former coalfield areas.

  • Siôn Whellans

    'Siôn is a workplace co-operative organiser. They are founder member of the UK worker co-op federation workers.coop.

    He advises on startups and business conversions to worker ownership and control, and has studied the worker co-op movement internationally.'


    Speaking on the political context for worker-directed enterprise in the UK, comparing and contrasting with developments in Italy, France and Argentina.'

  • Brian Leishman MP (TBC)

    Brian Lieshman is MP for Alloa and Grangemouth

  • Paul Mortimer-Lee (TBC)

    Paul Mortimer Lee is a Research Fellow at National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NEISR) and co-investigator of the NEISR report ‘Reindustrialising the United Kingdom’

  • Shaun Jacklin

    Shaun Jacklin is a Unite Representative at the Lindsey Oil Refinery