The Labour Party Conference 2025, hosted for the fourth consecutive year at the ACC Liverpool, provided the perfect stage for Downtown in Business (DIB) to showcase its role as a convenor of meaningful conversations between business leaders, entrepreneurs, and senior politicians. Over the course of two days, DIB delivered a packed programme of events – from breakfast briefings and working lunches to an exclusive gala dinner – ensuring that its members were at the very heart of the dialogue shaping the UK’s future economic and political landscape.
The programme began on Monday 29th September 2025 with a standing-room-only breakfast session that supported the launch of the Mindflow Charter, founded by Causeway Technologies. The Charter represents a landmark development for the construction sector, setting a measurable standard for mental health provisions on site and elevating wellbeing to the same level of importance as physical safety. The event was addressed by Trevor Steven, Chief Executive of Mindflow, who set out the vision and ambition of the Charter, alongside contributions from Luciana Berger, Member of the House of Lords, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Dr Tim Whitehill, Chief Executive of the Save Construction Initiative. Both Burnham and Berger took the opportunity to publicly endorse the Charter and its mission, underlining their commitment to tackling the mental health challenges that continue to affect the industry.
Later in the day, attention turned to international trade and business policy as DIB hosted an exclusive lunch at Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill.. The keynote speaker was Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee, who outlined the forthcoming Open Trade Enquiry Programme. This initiative promises to give British businesses a much stronger voice in shaping the country’s future trading relationships and was of particular relevance to the business leaders in attendance. Joining the conversation was Tom Brufatto, Director of Policy and Research at Best for Britain, who shared more about the organisation’s work in connecting business and policy at a national and international level.
The programme concluded in fitting style on Tuesday 30th September 2025 with an exclusive dinner at the Municipal Hotel & Spa Liverpool. The evening brought together an influential audience of entrepreneurs, senior executives, and government ministers for an in-depth discussion of the themes set out in Keir Starmer’s conference speech earlier in the day. Guests heard from Emily Thornberry MP, Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, the Paymaster General, and Andrew Lewin MP, the newly elected representative for Welwyn Hatfield and one of the rising stars of the Labour Party. The discussion explored Labour’s plans to drive sustainable economic growth, create certainty for business investment, strengthen education and training, build stronger partnerships between government and the private sector, and position the UK as a global leader in trade and inward investment.
Across all of these events, one clear message emerged: the Downtown in Business network continues to demonstrate its power by creating opportunities for members to connect with decision-makers, to exchange ideas, and to influence the conversations that matter. By bringing together leaders from politics, business, and civic life, DIB ensures that its members are not only part of the debate but are helping to shape the future.
