About this event
This Northern Research Group event will bring together senior Cabinet members, NRG Members of Parliament, local councillors, senior civic and business leaders, policy experts, colleagues from the third sector, prospective parliamentary candidates and Conservative Party activists to discuss the opportunity that the levelling up agenda presents for our communities.
This event will be an important moment for the North of England, and a chance for us to come together to shape and define policies that will transform our great towns and cities.
The event is being held Friday 17th June, at Doncaster Racecourse. ConservativeHome is pleased to be the media partner for this event. Three of the sessions below will be available to watch live on our YouTube channel.
Agenda
8.30 – 9.30 Registration opens
Halmahera Suite
Tea, coffee and breakfast rolls available
9.30 – 9.35 Opening of Conference
Premier Suite
Graham Robb, Entrepreneur and former Chair of the NE Institute of Directors
9.35 – 9.45 Welcome to Doncaster
Nick Fletcher MP, Member of Parliament for Don Valley
9.45 – 10.00 Setting the Scene – the State of the North
Ben Houchen, Mayor of the Tees Valley,
Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, Chair of the Northern Research Group
10.00 – 11.00 Plenary 1: Next Steps for Levelling Up the North
Chair: Graham Robb, with Dehenna Davison MP, Sir Howard Bernstein, Michelle Dewberry (GB News) and Bruce Heppenstall (Drax Power Station Director)
Watch live below or on YouTube
Kindly sponsored by Drax Power Station
11.00 – 11.30 Coffee Break
Halmahera Suite
11.30 – 12.30 Breakout sessions:
1. Net Zero Needn’t Cost You the Earth
Nijinsky Suite
Chair: Laura Sandys CBE, with Sara Britcliffe MP, Chris Green MP, Ian levy MP, Richard Warren (UK Steel), and Bruce Heppenstall (Drax Power Station Director)
Kindly sponsored by UK Steel and Drax Power Station
2. Remaking the Enterprise and Growth Economy
Premier Suite
Chair: tbc, with James Daly MP, Aaron Bell MP, Sharon Jandu (Yorkshire Asian Business Association), Nick Peters (Manufacturing TV), and Ammar Mirza CBE (North East LEP Board)
3. Devolving Power to Places
Conduit Suite
Chair: Rob Parsons (Northern Agenda), with John Stevenson MP, Cllr Mieka Smiles and Adam Hawksbee (Onward)
4. Towards a Minerals Strategy
Royal Suite
With Richard Holden MP, Alexander Stafford MP, and Stewart Dickson (Weardale Lithium)
Kindly sponsored by Weardale Lithium
12.30 – 14.00 Lunch
Halmahera Suite
Kindly sponsored by Circular 1
14.00 – 15.00 Breakout Sessions:
1. Connecting the North
Premier Suite
Chair: The Rt Hon Lord Patrick McLoughlin, with Paul Howell MP, Debbie Francis OBE (Chair, Lancashire LEP), Andy Clarke (Manchester Airport Group), and Ed Taylor, (City Fibre)
Kindly sponsored by Manchester Airport Group
2. Towards a Healthier North
Conduit Suite
Chair: Mary Robinson MP, with Simon Fell MP, Rt Hon Hazel Blears (Chair, Cumbria Healthier Community Partnership), Hannah Davies (NHSA), and Dr Antonis Kousoulis (Mental Health Foundation)
Kindly sponsored by the Northern Health Science Alliance
3. A Northern Skills Base for the Future
Royal Suite
Chair: Ed Dorrell (Public First), with Nick Fletcher MP, Damien Moore MP, and Anne Longfield CBE (former Children’s Commissioner)
4. Sovereignty and Defence
Nijinsky Suite
Chair: Jason McCartney MP, with Tom Tugendhat MP, Richard Bell (Sheffield Forgemasters), William Cook (William Cook Holdings), and Dr Arnab Basu MBE (Kromek Group)
15.00 – 15.55 Plenary 2: The Big Ideas Debate
Premier Suite
Discussion of key priorities
Keynote speech from the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, Chair of the Northern Research Group
Watch live below or on YouTube
16.00 – 16.25 Plenary 3: The Big Interview
With Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Watch live below or on YouTube
16.25 – 16.30 Concluding remarks
Mary Robinson MP, Member of Parliament for Cheadle
Watch Live
Welcome and Plenary 1: Next Steps for Levelling Up the North
Plenary 2: The Big Ideas Debate