Join Demos at Party Conferences 2026
As the UK’s leading cross-party think tank, we’ve long exercised our unique convening power to drive some of the most vibrant and highly attended events at party conferences.
For over 30 years, we’ve brought together high-profile speakers in constructive conversations that have influenced the course of governments.
In 2026, we are leading the debate on the defining challenge of our time – a crisis of trust in politics, government and public institutions. Our mission couldn’t be more relevant or urgent: how do we upgrade democracy and forge a new deal between citizens and the state?
DEMOS PARTY CONFERENCE AGENDA
Sir John Curtice x Demos: The State of the Nation
Our State of the Nation events delivered by renowned pollster, Sir John Curtice are the standout fringe events of the party conference season.
The great and the good from politics, media, industry and civil society gather every year to witness the unveiling of our new, exclusive public polling, with incisive commentary from Sir John and unique takeaways for each political party.
Full John Curtice event schedule:
Labour Party
Event: State of the Nation with Sir John Curtice
Speakers: Sir John Curtice | Polly Curtis, Demos
Date & Time: 27 September 2026 | 17:30–19:00
Location: Auditorium 1B, Liverpool Experience Campus
Labour enters a new political era under Andy Burnham. Sir John Curtice unveils bespoke polling on how the electoral landscape has shifted since 2024, where the party’s coalition stands today, and the choices that will shape its path to 2029.
Liberal Democrats
Event: State of the Nation with Sir John Curtice
Speakers: Sir John Curtice | Polly Curtis, Demos | Lisa Smart, Cabinet Office Spokesperson
Date & Time: 20 September 2026 | 18:15–19:15
Location: Empress-Charlotte, Grand Hotel
With 72 MPs the Liberal Democrats hold their strongest position in a century. Sir John Curtice unveils bespoke polling on where their support now stands, the case they can make for the centre, and the choices that shape their next chapter.
Conservative Party
Event: State of the Nation with Sir John Curtice
Speakers: Sir John Curtice | Polly Curtis, Demos
Date & Time: 04 October 2026 | 17:30–19:00
Location: DFS, Hyatt Regency
The Conservatives are navigating a changed political map, with Reform and the Liberal Democrats competing for parts of their traditional coalition. Sir John Curtice unveils bespoke polling on how the party’s support is evolving, what voters are looking for from the opposition, and how Kemi Badenoch’s approach is landing with the public.
Reform UK
Event: In Conversation with Professor Sir John Curtice
Speakers: Sir John Curtice | Polly Curtis, Demos
Date & Time: 04 September 2026 | 17:00–18:30
Location: Nelson Room, NEC, Birmingham
Demos hosts an exclusive ‘in conversation’ with Professor Sir John Curtice, the UK’s leading expert on public opinion and elections. Reform UK has done what many said was impossible: 14 councils, over 2,400 councillors, 270,000+ members, and topping the polls. But what does the data actually tell us about the durability of the movement? Sir John unveils bespoke polling conducted exclusively for this event to answer the question: what would it actually take for Reform to win a general election?
Green Party
Event: State of the Nation: In Conversation with Sir John Curtice
Speakers: Sir John Curtice | Polly Curtis, Demos | Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party
Date & Time: 02 October 2026 | 18:30–20:00
Location: Brighton Centre
The Greens arrive at Conference after a period of rapid growth under Zack Polanski, with rising membership, strong local election results and a first parliamentary by-election win in Gorton and Denton. What does this moment tell us about the party’s place in a fragmenting political landscape? Sir John Curtice unveils bespoke polling on who is turning to the Greens and why, how the party’s support is distributed across the country, and the questions it now faces as it looks to build on recent gains ahead of the next general election.
Demos Panel Events
Full panel event schedule:
Labour Party
Take back public control: How can the Labour government build digital sovereignty to support democracy?
Date: 28th September 2026Location: Exhibition Space 3Time: 8:30–10:00
In the fraught geopolitics of today, a debate is raging about the digital sovereignty of our defence systems, energy supply and public services. How can we secure the information environment to tackle misinformation, foreign interference and build our democratic resilience?
NEET Zero: Unlocking opportunity for Britain’s next generation
Speakers: Alan Milburn
Date: 28th September 2026
Location: Exhibition Space 3Time: 10:30–12:00
Alan Milburn sets out his vision to tackle the NEET crisis – and how better coordination between employers, educators and local partners could unlock opportunity, skills, and productivity in every postcode. In partnership with EY Foundation.
What London’s disinformation crisis reveals about Britain’s polluted information environment
Speakers: Emily Thornberry MP | Dawn Butler
Date: 28th September 2026Location: Arena Room Aire
Time: 13:15–14:15
London has become ground zero for global disinformation with false narratives spreading faster than facts. This panel will hear new research on how London became a global story, and ask: what would it take to fight disinformation?
21st Century Municipalism: A new deal between people and place
Date: 28th September 2026
Location: Exhibition Space 3Time: 13:00–14:30
The Labour government has promised to build more homes. But how do we ensure they result in happy, strong communities? Join Demos for the launch of a major new paper on 21st Century municipalism proposing to rewire local economics through new forms of community ownership and civic institutions. In partnership with Forest City Project.
Liberal Democrats
Take back public control: Why the LibDems should defend our information environment
Speakers: Lord Pack | Anna Sabine MP Date: 21st September 2026 Location: Consort, Grand Hotel Time: 13:45–14:45
In the fraught geopolitics of today, a debate is raging about the digital sovereignty of our defence systems, energy supply and public services. How can we secure the information environment to tackle misinformation, foreign interference and build our democratic resilience?
Conservative Party
Protecting the Ballot Box: Foreign interference, LLM poisoning and the rise of bots in British politics
Date: 5th October 2026Location: Disraeli, Hyatt RegencyTime: 18:00–19:30
From coordinated bot networks, to the deliberate poisoning of large language models, hostile states are finding new ways to undermine trust in our democracy. This panel examines the scale of the threat and asks what needs to be done to defend the integrity of Britain’s democracy before the next election.
Sponsor a Demos Party
Conference Event
Within our mission to upgrade democracy and make the case for a New Deal, our work spans a wide range of policy areas.
Our four focus areas offer a broad scope to collaborate with partners to shape engaging, impactful and relevant events:
- Improving Everyday Democracy – by designing, trialling and advocating for new practices and institutions to upgrade democracy and rebuild trust between state and citizen, and between citizens.
- Building the Citizen Economy – by supporting a new economic deal between citizens, government and markets, in which work, tax, investment and markets deliver good growth.
- Powering Public Service Reform – by making the case for person-centred and preventative services that deliver for people and restore faith in government.
- Cultivating Resilient Information Ecosystems – By strengthening information supply chains to break the cycles of misinformation and mistrust that fuel democratic decline.
Speakers at our events in recent years include Lisa Nandy, Bridget Phillipson, David Lammy, Jonathan Reynolds, Michael Gove, Ed Davey, Alex Davies-Jones, Bim Afolami, Jim McMahon, Rory Stewart, Lucy Frazer, Kirsty McNeill, Andy Burnham, Damian Green and many more.
Interested in curating a standalone event with us? Download the Demos Party Conference Sponsorship brochure for full details.
Sponsor Sir John Curtice x Demos: The State of the Nation
Our State of the Nation events delivered by renowned pollster, Sir John Curtice are the standout fringe events of the party conference season.
The great and the good from politics, media, industry and civil society gather every year to witness the unveiling of our new, exclusive public polling, with incisive commentary from Sir John and unique takeaways for each political party.
These events drive intense media interest and are always standing room only.
Interested in sponsoring this flagship event? Download the Demos X Sir John Curtice Sponsorship brochure for full details.
