Policy Exchange Winter Reception 2024

About this event

Rt Hon Pat McFadden – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and responsible for overseeing the Government’s ‘five missions’ – was the guest of honour at Policy Exchange’s Winter Reception at a packed Tate Britain on Tuesday night.

Addressing the party, he said:

“Let me say something else, particularly meeting here under the umbrella of an organisation like Policy Exchange. I don’t really believe there has been much interest in the how in recent years as there was some time ago. This used to be an area of energy and creativity and debate. An area where think tanks, academic institutions, different parts of the public sphere if you like, were interested, were coming up with things. And so yesterday I also issued a call to arms, to say people should be interested in the how, they should be interested in how politics and government can deliver for people, whatever its policy agenda.

“I would like to see that sense of energy, creativity and ideas recreated. I hope that Policy Exchange will very much be a part of that as we take things forward.”

Guests included the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney, parliamentarians Richard Holden MP, Sir John Hayes MP, Baroness Finn, Lord Sumption, Baroness Porter, Lord Carlile, Lord Feldman, Lord Bew, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee, Baroness Stowell, Lord Hogan-Howe, former Cabinet Ministers Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon and Rt Hon Therese Coffey and former Labour Members of Parliament including Khalid Mahmood and Jon Cruddas. Advisers to the Leader of the Opposition were also in attendance, including Victoria Hewson, Lottie Moore, Sonia Zvedeniuk and Stephen Alton.

Other guests included key Westminster journalists Chris Mason, Harry Cole, Sir Trevor Phillips, Ryan Sabey, Jack Elsom Cindy Yu, James Heale, Poppy Coburn, George Eaton, Michael Cockerell, Jason Cowley, Melanie Phillips and Anna Mikhailova, 

Also present were Sheridan Westlake, Meg Powell-Chandler,  Sir William Shawcross, George Pascoe-Watson, John Bew, Salma Shah, Natasha Porter, Jonathan Hall KC, Joshua Rozenberg KC, Sir Robbie Gibb and Swaran Singh.