Events

Unlocking Opportunity: Talking inclusion in the Workplace at Party Conferences


Unlocking Opportunity: Talking inclusion in the Workplace at Party Conferences

Steve Ballinger, British Future Director of Communications, from the Labour and Conservative party conferences

Creating fair and inclusive workplaces was discussed at both Labour and Conservative party conferences this autumn at two British Future fringe events exploring the challenges, choices and changes needed to make inclusion work. Sponsored by KPMG, the events brought together politicians, business leaders and inclusion experts to discuss how to unlock opportunity in the workplace.

Discussing “Challenges, Choices and Change” at Labour Party conference

At Labour’s conference in Liverpool, the panel “Creating Inclusive Workplaces: Challenges, Choices and Change” featured Anneliese Dodds MP, Uma Kumaran MP, Anna Purchas (Vice Chair and London Office Senior Partner, KPMG), Hayley Bennett of HTVB Consultancy, and was chaired by Heather Rolfe of British Future.

Uma Kumaran MP reflected on the political climate around equality work.

“I didn’t think I’d live in a Britain where questions of fairness and equality have become polarised – but here we are,” she said.

Uma warned of “a wilful attempt to mislead people about what equality and diversity work is about,” arguing that political leadership was needed to address this.

Anna Purchas of KPMG explained why these conversations matter to business:

“KPMG is a large organisation and this issue is important to us and the people who work here,” she said. “We stand by our Values, and see our Inclusion, Diversity and Equity policies as critical to our trust and growth agenda.”

Anneliese Dodds MP stressed that this was not just a political issue but a business imperative too:

“Many organisations know that equality and inclusion are important to the bottom line but still go quiet because of politics. This is about fairness and we need to hear more of the personal stories of unfairness and how it impacts on people – for example when they don’t have the same pay or advancement opportunities as their colleagues.”

Both MPs highlighted the need to address class as well as other aspects of diversity. Anneliese noted that working-class people are not all “white, male, able-bodied or straight”, pushing back on narratives that set class against other inclusion priorities. Uma Kumaran agreed that class “is the biggest divide and we should be trying to raise standards for everyone.”

Hayley Bennett argued that senior teams often lack clarity about what they want to achieve:

“A lot of senior teams are unclear about what they actually want to see and achieve with equality and inclusion. They need a clear strategy and articulation of their direction and why the work’s important.”

She also noted that “companies aren’t always even doing the basics,” such as providing reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. Uma Kumaran agreed, saying that people should not have to “constantly advocate for yourself just for the bare minimum,” pointing to the role legislation can play in changing that.

Anna Purchas shared an example of action at KPMG: after analysing data on progression, the firm launched a social mobility network, backed by partners, which now has hundreds of members. Data, she noted, can highlight barriers as well as successes.

“Unlocking Opportunity” at Conservative party conference

At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, our event Unlocking Opportunity: The Case for Inclusive Employment featured Baroness Stedman-Scott; Siobhan Aarons of the Tory Reform Group; Prerna Bhardwaj, Mayor of Gerrards Cross; and Anna Purchas of KPMG. It was chaired by British Future’s Director Sunder Katwala.

Baroness Stedman-Scott opened the discussion, drawing on decades of work helping unemployed young people into jobs at the charity Tomorrow’s People before serving as Minister for Work and Pensions and Minister for Women. She said that the challenge of promoting inclusion “is as significant now as it’s ever been,” and stressed why that is: “True inclusion means more than representation,” she said, “It means workplaces where everyone feels safe to contribute, supported to grow and confident that who they are is recognised as an asset, not a barrier.”

Getting inclusion right promotes belonging among employees, and she saw this as vital to businesses. “Belonging is not a soft add-on,” she said. “It is the foundation of productivity, collaboration and loyalty. This is how we get the best out of people.”

Siobhan Aarons spoke candidly about navigating workplace barriers herself as a Black woman, noting that “As someone who is thriving at work, I still see the structural barriers to thriving at work.”

She reflected on her experience of often being the only person in the room from her background and the frustration of “spending three hours doing EDI training to tick a box,” without seeing real change. She argued for shifting approaches that match different settings, saying “there’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” and emphasised that “nothing can be achieved in a silo – we need allies.”

Prerna Bhardwaj shared her experience from the private sector and in politics as “the first woman, first ethnic minority and youngest mayor of Gerrards Cross,” saying it showed that in her experience,  barriers can be overcome. She worried if some young white men feel excluded by equality initiatives, warning that these tensions should be addressed constructively. “Women need self-belief and to fight for what they want,” she added.

Anna Purchas set out KPMG’s approach, emphasising “equitable experiences, whatever your background; holding leaders to account; and fostering a sense of belonging,” as key principles. Data has driven change at KPMG, she said, but more change is still needed. Women now make up 29% of KPMG’s partners, up from 15% in 2015 – but that still leaves “lots of work to do.”

The discussion also addressed the role of staff networks. Baroness Stedman-Scott argued that they have legitimacy when generated from the bottom up from staff, “not because the boss thinks they’re meant to do it.” Anna Purchas described their role in creating community for minority groups, helping people feel supported while balancing their day jobs.

Sunder Katwala concluded by noting that concepts like inclusion, fairness, equality and diversity should not be contentious in the places where people work. “We need to make inclusion work normal, not special, in workplaces,” he said.

Across both party conferences, the message was clear: inclusion matters – not just politically, but practically, economically and personally. Making workplaces fair and inclusive requires leadership, clarity, data and everyday action.

These events were sponsored by KPMG.

Read our BlueSky thread on British Future’s Liberal Democrat conference event.