Conference Diary 2026: Reform UK

The NRLA is a non-party political organisation. That isn’t a new position, or a particularly controversial one. As a representative body that likes to focus on practical solutions rather than grandstanding or performative campaigning, we work with any politician or policy maker who may have influence over the environment in which our members work.  

Traditionally, that has meant splitting our time between the red and the blue sides of politics in the UK (with the occasional orange diversion) but increasingly, as UK politics splinters across a variety of battle lines, we have to review and appraise our approach to other voices. In Wales this means making inroads with Plaid and in England we have to consider the Green Party and Reform UK.  

Given the Greens’ disposition towards landlords (unless of course they are a Deputy Leader) and private investment in residential property, opportunities are naturally limited.

However, with Reform UK continuing to garner significant (if potentially plateauing) support in trusted polls, it would be irresponsible for an organisation like ours to ignore their potential to influence national discourse. This is why, for the first time, I attended their national conference in Birmingham this month.  

I have attended literally dozens of party conference throughout my career. In fact, for a few years, I attended as a media delegate to report the goings-on of Labour, Conservative, and Lib Dem conferences. I have seen cabinet ministers sing karaoke at 2am, been manhandled out of the way of prime ministerial entourages and spoken at more fringe meetings than I can even recall. However, this conference was something a bit different – and I’ll try to explain how.

A true party conference?

The Reform UK event was held at the NEC Birmingham, the venue of the NRLA conference only a couple of years ago. As such it was undeniably a smaller affair than most, which tend to take over entire resorts or city centres and host tens of thousands of delegates.

The party estimates that around 8,000 people attended the exhibition centre over the course of three days, which is significant and an increase year on year compared to previous rallies and events.

What was striking about the attendees was the proportion of ‘the faithful’ relative to business, media, and industry.

This was undeniably a conference for party members rather than corporate visitors and they certainly seemed to enjoy their annual get-together more than I have ever witnessed members of their rivals at similar events.   

Despite the allegations and potential scandals breaking outside of the ‘secure-zone’ there was barely a mention of funding accusations or inquiries inside the hall, and when it did come up there was little interest in unpacking the possible consequences.  

I suppose you could argue that this is what a party conference should look like. Members getting together to converse, network, meet their political idols, and plan for the future.

A rally or a conference?

It is frequently said that Reform UK, or at least its leadership, is keen to follow the roadmap set out by the MAGA movement in the United States. Whatever your views of the state of US politics, it’s undeniable that this has been incredibly successful at seizing the initiative and taking power – so it may be a sensible approach. But it does mean that their approach to conference season differs significantly from the status quo.  

What was lacking was a sense of genuine policymaking, or engagement with the industries, communities, and businesses that are essential to making a real impact – or at least deemed essential by traditional parties.  

In this sense, my takeaway was that the three-day event, or at least the two-day conference proper on Friday and Saturday, was more akin to a political rally than a true conference.

This is not a criticism.

A rally is an inherently energetic gathering, designed to inspire and demonstrate support, which this did.

A conference, on the other hand, needs a little more formality. It needs structure to allow discussion of specific topics, to facilitate sharing of views, and in the case of most parties, to transact business and make policy. From my position as an observer, this didn’t really happen.  

Whilst there were exhibiting businesses, they were thin on the ground and fringe meetings, roundtables and events were relatively sparse and very much tailored to appeal to core party beliefs. Frustratingly, organisational and administrative failings made the event unnecessarily difficult to navigate, and I suspect many business visitors (like me) left feeling they had struggled to extract value having, missed meetings due to excessive queues or unannounced venue changes.

What about housing?

Ultimately, I attended to observe and to gain a better understanding of the party’s housing policies. I have to admit I left disappointed. Whilst a small number of fringe meetings and roundtables discussed housing matters, these tended to be light on detail and overly doctrinal.  

Without a dedicated housing spokesperson, Simon Dudley was sacked from the position in April 2026 and is yet to be permanently replaced, there was no specific speech on the issue to the floor of the conference.

Deputy leader Richard Tice holds the brief and used conference to announce proposals to reform planning rules and incentivise development on brownfield sites. 

Away from the main stage, there was certainly sympathy within the party hierarchy for investors in housing, and a frequently expressed belief that other parties had got policy badly wrong.

What I struggled to detect was a set of solutions that would hang together to form a strategy.

Of course, in fairness, opposition parties can afford to take a looser approach to such policies with a general election likely some way away. I expect when we attend the Conservative Party conference in a few weeks’ time, I may be tempted to level a similar set of criticisms at their door.

However, it remains a gap in this particular conference’s itinerary. 

From the NRLA’s point of view, attending conferences is an expensive business, and it is difficult to say that this particular event represented a great return on investment.

I was invited to speak at a fringe event hosted by the independent think tank Bright Blue, which was well attended and provided a good opportunity to discuss MEES and the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act with those present.

I also came away with a somewhat better understanding of the dynamics of the party and their approach to policy making, but there is very little concrete to report.  

Over the next few weeks, my colleagues and I will be attending the Conservative and Labour Party events and reporting back on their respective engagement and priorities for the PRS.

It remains to be seen whether any more substantive policy proposals – welcome or otherwise – will be forthcoming, but I remain convinced that conference season is an important part of the political calendar and a rare opportunity for discussion and debate with decision makers away from the confines of Whitehall.  

To keep up to date with our activities at conference and beyond, keep an eye on our news pages at nrla.org.uk and follow us on social media.