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18 April 2026

Lots on sustainability – less on skills: Notes from the Labour conference

Promising noises were made at the Labour conference in Liverpool, but there are two big lessons the party must bear in mind if it is to truly lead on FE, writes Olly Newton Despite rain and blustery winds in Liverpool, concerns over the government’s so-called ‘mini’ budget, the ongoing cost of living crisis, and news […]

I’m beginning to think Labour has got it at last – well almost! 

The Labour leader’s close alignment with his chancellor Rachel Reeves is also good news for FE providers if he comes to power, writes Ann Limb So Labour has promised to reform the apprenticeship levy into a “growth and skills levy”. It would be hard not to welcome a move which means money raised can be […]

Labour needs another Wilsonian ‘white heat of technology’ moment  

Radicalism and realism will help the party to win the next general election, argues Tom Bewick In October 1963, the Labour leader Harold Wilson delivered one of the most memorable political interventions of the 20th century. Historians refer to it as the “white heat of technology” – a memorable phrase in the text, characterised by […]