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Ask Me Anything

Ask John Rentoul anything about Labour Party conference – from planning and energy to Covid and elections

The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul will be taking your questions on the Labour Party conference

Thursday 12 October 2023 05:08 EDT
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Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves making her keynote speech during the Labour Party Conference
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves making her keynote speech during the Labour Party Conference (PA)

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From reversing the Tories’ Rwanda policy to lowering bills for those directly affected by energy and housing projects – Labour used its annual party conference to set out exactly what it stands for ahead of the next general election.

Despite a runaway by-election victory in Scotland last week and being 17 points ahead in the opinion polls, there is still work to do for the party as the long campaign begins in earnest.

On Monday, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves set out plans to “get Britain building again”, fast-tracking planning applications for battery factories, laboratories and 5G infrastructure.

She also revealed proposals for a new Covid corruption commissioner with a “hit squad” of investigators to recoup money lost in the “carnival of waste” during the pandemic.

While Labour is tipped to win the next general election, the route to Number 10 will not be a straightforward one.

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer is under greater scrutiny than ever after admitting HS2’s northern leg would not be revived under a Labour government, with some natural allies urging him to be bolder on policy in order to give voters a sense of hope.

So will this conference be seen as a successful milestone for the party currently on course for an election win?

Are the policies set out by Labour this week enough to give voters the hope they need? And, more importantly, are they election-winning?

If you have a question on the Labour Party conference, submit it now here, or when I join you live at 2pm on Thursday 12 October for the “Ask Me Anything” event.

Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here.

Don’t worry if you can’t see your question – they may be hidden until I join the conversation to answer them. Then join us live on this page at 2pm as I tackle as many questions as I can.

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