Last edited 30 Sep 2024

UK Construction Week marks 100 days of government with key Labour figures set to speak

As Keir Starmer’s Labour government approaches 100 days in office, UK Construction Week has announced a Who’s Who of leading figures from construction and politics, as well as an exclusive first look at a major new sustainability report.

High profile speakers at UKCW include the Labour mayors for the West and East Midlands, Richard Parker and Claire Ward, who will each hold a fireside chat, on October 1st and 2nd respectively.

Visitors to UKCW Birmingham will also have exclusive preview access to the industry’s latest CO2nstructZero report, which has yet to be published. Attendees will simply visit the UKCW Lounge and, using a unique QR code, be able to download the new report.

There will be a Construct Zero Performance Framework launch in partnership with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and Department of Business & Trade, on day one of UKCW (1st October) from 10.10am on the Main Stage.

The opening keynote will be delivered by Jonathan Holyoak, Global Net Zero Programme Director at Atkins Realis. Jonathan will be joined by business champions Tyler Minot, CEO and founder of Minot Brothers Ltd; Tasha Lyth, Sustainability Executive, BEAMA; Hayley Arckless, Country Manager, AMPD Energy; Michael Samways, Director of Sustainability and Built Environment, Accelar Ltd; Stacey Lucas, Commercial and Marketing Director, Sontay.

The CLC works in partnership with Government and organisations of all sizes across the industry to ensure the construction sector has the voice, support and resilience needed to grow, improve productivity, attract and retain talent, and successfully transition to Net Zero

Less than a week after the General Election saw the first meeting of UKCW’s Advisory Board, a prestigious panel of top industry leaders, created to discuss some of the most critical challenges facing today’s construction industry, whilst attempting to uncover meaningful and innovative solutions which could be rolled out across the sector.

Members include Charlotte Garrett, Head of Industry Strategy, Kope, Andy Tookey, Managing Partner, Baily Garner, and Trudi Sully, UK and Europe Lead - Industrialised Design & Construction, Mott MacDonald.

UKCW asked members of the panel what they wanted to see in Labour’s first 100 days in power.

Trudi Sully commented: “It's a tough time and there’s now a shift from the election manifestos and concepts into what is practical, so it’s great to get ministers on stage at UKCW to talk about what can be achieved, I think that will be so well received. It’s no simple fix this year and we’ve got an awful lot of work to do and I want to talk about how we’re actually going to do it and how far we can get and be realistic about achieving it.”

Andy Tookey added: “I think that the new government needs to see housing as infrastructure, if you look at the amount of money we spend on housing benefit, the demand has not gone away and the impact on the economy in terms of people’s health, benefits and costs, we’ve got to see housing as essential.”

Charlotte Garrett said: “I think it’s key the new government responds to those topics of technology and innovation, AI, data, there are a lot of standards and mandates coming in, so I think we need changes to respond quickly to these and the government needs to support that.”

Sam Patel, Divisional Director – Construction, commented: “We are in the midst of a real period of change for the construction industry - post election, post Grenfell report, the rapid rise of AI and digital construction - so UKCW has never been more relevant or important for those who work in the industry to attend. We anticipate three days of sparking conversations, exciting insight and fantastic networking opportunities.”

Officially opened by architect and Channel 4 presenter, George Clarke, the show will be home to a plethora of educational, insightful and interactive areas including the Main Stage, Digital Construction Hub, Live Demo Theatre, Skills & Training Hub and Culture Change Hub; all highlighting the most pressing topics across the sector.

Featuring over 200 exhibitors, 300+ seminars, CPD sessions and workshops, and over 300 thought leaders and keynote speakers, visitors to the multi award-winning show can explore a wealth of specialist areas including:

Onsite On Hire - Co-located with UKCW, Onsite On Hire is a new hire industry showcase designed to show the very best tools, compact plant and equipment exhibitors. Confirmed exhibitors include the likes of Genquip Groundhog, Solar Hybrid Solutions and GaiaGroup UK.

Roofing, Cladding and Insulation Expo - A new area in response to industry demand, this will showcase the latest solutions, host thought leadership debates and discussions, and celebrate the roofing, cladding and insulation industry. The new expo aims to connect tier one contractors, suppliers and the wider industry whilst encouraging collaboration, exchange of innovations and cultivating unparalleled business prospects. Confirmed key partners include the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, Raise the Roof and National Federation of Builders.