Newcastle Labour members joined thousands of delegates, trade unionists and campaigners in Liverpool for the 2026 Labour Party Annual Conference, as the Labour Government unveiled major new plans that will benefit communities across Newcastle.
A strong delegation of Newcastle Labour members attended this year’s conference, including Newcastle Labour Group Leader Cllr Ged Bell, taking Newcastle’s voice directly to the heart of the Labour movement.
And Newcastle will have an even stronger voice in shaping Labour’s future after Clare Penny-Evans and Stephen Barry-Stanners were elected by members across the North to represent them on Labour’s National Policy Forum (NPF).
The NPF brings together around 200 representatives from across the Labour movement and plays a crucial role in developing Labour policy. Its work will help shape the policy platform from which Labour’s manifesto for the next General Election will ultimately be drawn.
Their election means two Newcastle Labour members will be directly involved in that process, helping ensure the experiences and priorities of Newcastle, the North East and communities across the North are heard as Labour develops its plans for the future.
Conference also saw a series of major announcements from Labour ministers, many of which will make a real difference to people and communities across Newcastle.
🧓 Building a National Care Service
One of the biggest commitments was the next stage of Labour’s plans to transform social care, with the Government setting out its ambition to establish a National Care Service, including free personal care for older people.
The plans would transform the way care is delivered, while reforms to pay, conditions and career progression will help give care workers the recognition they deserve.
For Newcastle, this means better support for older and disabled residents, greater security for families who rely on care and a stronger workforce delivering vital services across our city.
It will also help tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the NHS by supporting more people to remain independent at home and reducing avoidable pressure on hospitals.
🏠 More homes and stronger action on homelessness
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner used conference to set out plans to give councils a stronger role in housing and tackling homelessness.
The Government is moving towards greater public control of housing, alongside measures to strengthen councils’ ability to tackle homelessness and ensure homeless households get the support they need.
This will benefit Newcastle as the city continues to deal with growing housing pressures.
It also builds on Newcastle’s own record of innovation. Under the previous Labour administration, the city developed its internationally recognised Active Inclusion approach, bringing together the council and more than 100 organisations to identify people at risk of homelessness and intervene before they reached crisis point.
👷 Investment in jobs, skills and apprenticeships
Conference also put jobs and economic growth at the centre of Labour’s plans.
Chancellor John Healey announced plans for the National Wealth Fund to help create or support a further 130,000 jobs across the UK by 2030, with investment in industries including clean energy, technology, artificial intelligence and defence.
That investment will create opportunities for Newcastle and the wider North East as our region continues to grow its clean energy, technology, digital and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Labour will also expand local apprenticeship services, helping connect young people directly with employers and training opportunities.
The Union Learning Fund will return too, with £15 million a year to help workers gain new skills and respond to changes in the workplace, including the increasing use of artificial intelligence.
Together, these measures mean more routes into good jobs for young people in Newcastle and new opportunities for existing workers to develop their skills throughout their careers.
🧒 New opportunities for Newcastle’s young people
Young people were at the heart of a number of announcements throughout conference.
The Government is introducing new Vocational GCSEs, giving pupils a high-quality technical route alongside traditional GCSEs and creating clearer pathways into further education, apprenticeships, university and employment.
Labour is also expanding work experience so that more teenagers get an opportunity to experience the world of work before leaving education.
These reforms will help ensure young people in Newcastle have more choices and that technical and vocational skills are valued alongside traditional academic qualifications.
🛝 1,000 new youth workers and investment in youth services
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced plans to recruit and train 1,000 new youth workers, alongside a new £450 million Youth Matters Fund to improve youth facilities and activities.
Newcastle is already set to benefit from Labour’s investment in young people after being selected as one of the areas for the next generation of Young Futures Hubs.
The hubs will bring services including mental health support, employment opportunities and crime prevention together, making it easier for young people to get help in their own communities.
Combined with the new investment announced at conference, this will mean more opportunities, activities and support for young people across Newcastle.
♀️ Tackling violence against women and girls
Conference also heard further commitments to tackle violence against women and girls, including £50 million of new investment as part of plans to treat the issue as a public health priority.
The approach will put greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention alongside ensuring victims and survivors can access support.
It is an approach Newcastle knows can make a difference, with work already undertaken locally by the last Labour administration to bring organisations and communities together to challenge violence, abuse and harmful attitudes.
🌳 Investing in our communities
Further announcements included new investment in community food projects and measures to improve neighbourhood environments.
These sit alongside Labour’s wider programme of investment in housing, youth services, skills, public services and local communities.
For Newcastle, the message from conference was clear: Labour’s plans for national renewal will deliver investment and new opportunities for our city, while Newcastle Labour members will also have a direct role in helping shape what comes next.
Newcastle Labour Group Leader Cllr Ged Bell, who attended conference as a delegate, said:
“This was a really positive conference for Newcastle. The announcements we heard over the week will make a real difference to people across our city, from better social care and stronger action on homelessness to more youth services, apprenticeships, skills and good jobs.
“These aren’t abstract policies. They mean more opportunities for young people growing up in Newcastle, more support for families, investment in our communities and a stronger safety net for people when they need it.
“It was fantastic to see so many Newcastle members at conference making sure our city’s voice was heard, and I’m particularly delighted that Clare Penny-Evans and Stephen Barry-Stanners have been elected to the National Policy Forum.
“Having two Newcastle members directly involved in Labour’s policy-making process is something our whole local Party can be proud of. They will be able to take the experiences and ideas of our members and communities into the discussions that will help shape Labour’s policies and ultimately our next manifesto.
“Newcastle has a strong voice in our Labour Government and in our Party. What we heard at conference shows how having a Labour Government working alongside Labour representatives locally and across the North East will deliver real change for our city.”
With Newcastle members returning from Liverpool, attention now turns to delivering the benefits of Labour’s announcements locally, and ensuring Newcastle continues to play its part in shaping the next chapter of Labour’s programme for government.