Reclaiming our regions: How mayors can resist the rise of the far right

With British citizens increasingly disconnected from the institutions that govern their lives, their frustration and disengagement provides fertile ground for far-right movements that offer simplistic solutions to complex problems. At the same time, the stripping of assets, wealth and with it power from local communities, to line the pockets of the few, is the cause of extreme tension and pain.

At the local level, the rise of populism is particularly pronounced in regions where citizens feel sidelined and disillusioned by centralised decision-making. 

The Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) programme aims to directly address this sense of disconnect by giving people a stronger voice in regional policymaking, rebuilding trust in local institutions and ensuring that decision-making reflects the needs and aspirations of communities. 

The four foundational partners of RORE (Centre for Thriving Places, New Economics Foundation, Centre for Local Economic Strategies and Co-Operatives UK) believe it is time to reclaim the UK economy from those turning an eye-watering profit and turning us against each other.

This event

This Labour Party Conference fringe event will bring together mayors and partners from RORE programme areas and beyond to illustrate how a commitment to devolution and local empowerment can directly counter the appeal of far-right rhetoric by addressing the concerns of those who feel left behind. By challenging the existing dominant economic rhetoric and focusing on the importance of local democracy, we can spark a conversation about how the government can actively strengthen communities and foster political engagement at the grassroots level.

Speakers

• Chair: Liz Zeidler, chief executive, Centre for Thriving Places

• Claire Ward, mayor of the East Midlands

• Bev Craig, leader, Manchester City Council (invited)

• Cathy Brown, head of economic justice (Birmingham), Barrow Cadbury Trust

• Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive, New Economics Foundation