Sport and physical activity were rarely headline issues at this year’s party conferences. But many of the priorities being discussed, including youth employment, preventing ill health, local decision-making and planning, are areas where sport and physical activity can make a practical and important contributions. While there were some direct commitments around school sport and active travel, much of the discussion focused on wider challenges that also affect people’s opportunities to be active.
One of the clearest opportunities is around young people. At Labour’s conference, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP highlighted commitments to new sports pitches and the place of sport in the school curriculum. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson and London MP Munira Wilson called for earlier intervention on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), mental health and school attendance, alongside broader educational opportunities and more work experience. With Alan Milburn’s review of youth employment awaiting publication, there is an opportunity to bring evidence from community sport into discussions about supporting young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Sport won’t solve youth unemployment alone, but inclusive school and community sport, coaching and volunteering can help young people build confidence, develop skills and find routes into work – we work with plenty of organisations that have been very successful at this.
Health and prevention were another recurring theme. Labour Health Secretary Yvette Cooper MP spoke about neighbourhood health services and supporting people to stay well, while the Liberal Democrats focused on improving access to healthcare and addressing workforce pressures. Labour’s proposals for a National Care Service also open up wider conversations about supporting people as they age. Physical activity has a contribution to make here, particularly in helping people manage long-term health conditions, maintain independence and improve their wellbeing. For London, this means making stronger connections between health services, community organisations and local opportunities to be active.
How decisions are made locally was also a common thread. Labour’s emphasis on devolution, the Liberal Democrats’ commitments to safer walking and cycling, and the Greens’ focus on community involvement and protecting green spaces all connect to the environments Londoners use every day. The Greens also adopted a policy recognising sport as an essential public good. These discussions matter because opportunities to be active are shaped by the places around us. Safer routes to school, accessible parks and greater community access to school facilities are practical ways to help more people move. As London grows, planning and regeneration need to consider how physical activity can be built into everyday life.
There was less direct discussion of grassroots sport at the Conservative and Reform UK conferences. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch MP outlined proposals to reduce planning regulations and public spending, while Reform UK’s Richard Tice MP proposed changes to encourage brownfield development. Reform also discussed plans to scrap arm’s-length public bodies, often known as quangos, and reduce the size of the Civil Service, raising questions about the potential implications for organisations and funding arrangements that support sport. For London, where access to suitable spaces is already a challenge in many communities, decisions about planning and public investment could affect the facilities and support available for people to be active.
What this means for us?
For London Sport, conference season highlighted why our work needs to connect with discussions beyond sport policy. We know that people’s opportunities to be active are shaped by where they live, the support available locally and the barriers they face. Our role is to bring that evidence into conversations with policymakers, work with partners to find practical solutions and demonstrate what sport and physical activity can contribute to wider priorities.
We’ll continue making that case across the political spectrum, particularly for communities where the barriers to being active are greatest.
