Our 2026 programme at the Labour Party conference got off to a strong start last night, despite the Liverpool rain, as we brought together senior business and political leaders as well as stakeholders from across London at our flagship reception.
Over a hundred people, from long-standing members and contacts to newer connections, were aboard the Daffodil for the event, which was kindly sponsored by Arcadis.
The mood on the boat was upbeat, with Cllr Stephan Cowan – Chair of London Councils and Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham – noting “a sense of optimism in the air”.
This positive atmosphere was driven, in part, by how the new political landscape could offer London and other city-regions an opportunity to better stand on their own feet through greater devolution.
Our CEO John Dickie opened the speeches with a focus on what this devolution revolution could mean in practice for the capital. He highlighted that despite Whitehall being in London, it has often not served London well. Meaningful fiscal devolution could be transformational – if combined with steps to accelerate the speed at which things can get built, including housing. This was echoed by Jacqueline Chambers, Director of External Affairs at London HQ, who set out recommendations from a new report, published in partnership with BusinessLDN and Central District Alliance, on the capital’s devolution deal that will be this week.
John also highlighted the need to maintain momentum behind projects such as the DLR extension to Thamesmead and expansion of Heathrow – which is critical for boosting growth nationally – as well as others such as the Bakerloo line extension and West London Orbital.
Peter Hogg, UK & Ireland Country Director, Arcadis, highlighted how harnessing the imagination in the room will be key to delivery and unlocking good growth across London and the UK.
And finally, Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth, made the case for why London is the best city in world history while recognising more needs to be done to ensure the proceeds of growth are spread evenly across the city.
With thanks again to our sponsors, Arcadis, we now look forward to a busy programme over the next few days in Liverpool. Do get in touch if you would like us to support your activity during conference season or meet with the BusinessLDN team.
With thanks to Arcadis for sponsoring BusinessLDN at the Labour Party Conference 2026: The London Reception.
About Arcadis
Arcadis is a leading global partner driving some of the most transformative projects of our time. Arcadis helps clients make sustainable choices by combining digital innovation, human expertise, and future-focused skills across environment, energy, water, buildings, transport, and infrastructure sectors. Taking design, engineering, architecture and consultancy to the next level, Arcadis uses data-driven insights to co-create environments that reflect our clients’ business and stakeholder needs. With over 35,000 people, Arcadis unites global expertise to tackle challenges like climate resilience, energy security and diversification, and livable cities, improving quality of life through our presence in 30+ countries. In 2024, Arcadis achieved €5.0 billion in gross revenues.
