Hubertus Heil MdB visits Labour Party Conference 2025

The years 2024-25 presented numerous challenges to social democrats in Germany and the UK. Labour was tasked with ending 14 years of Conservative hegemony, and once in government, was presented with a dramatic fiscal situation among other things. Reactionary populist parties are keen to capitalise on the malaise, and Labour is now required to find a vision and programme for the country which unites people. The SPD also landed in government in 2025, though only as the junior partner in a coalition with the CDU/CSU. This presents a shared challenge: governing in the interests of our voters and of democracy as such, whilst committing time and energy to the process of renewal. 

Alongside discussions on tech, AI, defence, and German-British relations, the necessity to renew social democracy for the coming decade was an important point of exchange for Mr Heil and social democrats attending the Liverpool conference.