IOSH set to nurture new crop of MPs

Every autumn, all UK political parties hold a conference to talk about their future plans. This is an opportunity to talk about the challenges and policy solutions they believe will help. This attracts media attention. Each conference provides the chance for the frontbench team of each political party, including the party leader, to talk to the voters. All MPs attend conference, so they are a great opportunity to meet with MPs outside of Westminster to talk about the issues that matter.

This year, IOSH will be attending the Labour and Liberal Democrats conferences to begin building contacts with the influx of new MPs. There is still a leadership election for the Conservative Party and only a few new MPs, so this year we won’t be attending, though we will in future years. We will, of course, continue to reach out to all MPs between conferences whenever we can influence issues that are relevant to our occupational safety and health (OSH) agenda.

Post-election

These will be the first conferences since the UK General Election. Liberal Democrats will be celebrating their electoral success in Brighton. Two members of the IOSH Policy and Public Affairs team will be hoping to speak to the party’s 72 MPs about the issues that our members most care about.

The Labour Party will be holding its conference in Liverpool. Last year, over 18,000 people attended the Labour Party conference. It’s likely to be more this year as they are in government.

A group from our Policy and Public Affairs team will be hosting an exhibition stand to explain how occupational safety and health is important to the economy, businesses and workers and how it is going to become increasingly important in the coming years.

Before the UK General Election, IOSH surveyed its membership about the issues it cared most about. This showed they believe the top five priorities for the next Government should be:

• mental health at work 
• health and Safety Executive funding 
• supporting future generations with skills
• climate change and related OSH risks
• artificial intelligence and its impact on workers

These findings forged the calls made in the IOSH manifesto and will continue to focus our calls for the Government in the years ahead.

As Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, explains: “By attending conferences this year, we want to meet many new MPs and to explain the rising importance and impact of good work and good occupational safety and health. Whether that’s the safety needed to build more houses, for example, or to discuss the risks brought by climate change and new technology, or the skills future workers will need to protect themselves and to prevent harm.