Ministers build wall as Thakeham Conservative Party Conference debut attracts top delegates

Building a better future

South East developer Thakeham taught government ministers to build a wall after more than 200 delegates visited their stand at this year’s Conservative Party Conference.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond; Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Kit Malthouse and Conservative Party Chairman, Brandon Lewis all laid bricks as part of the Thakeham the wall-building experience.

Other ministers and members who visited to try their hand at brick laying included, Mims Davies, Assistant Government Whip, Helen Whately, Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Women, Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond and Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield and Staffordshire.

On the news

The stand also generated a buzz that attracted both Sky News presenter Kay Burley and BBC South News who featured Minister of State for Immigration, Caroline Nokes laying a brick in the Thakeham wall.

Bringing people together

It was the first time that one of the fastest growing developers in the South East had exhibited at the four-day event; which this year opened on September 30th in the ICC Conference Centre in Birmingham. Thakeham’s conference debut also represented the first time a real wall has been built during the Conservative Party Conference.

For Thakeham, Group Managing Director, Rob Boughton said:

“We hope that delegates enjoyed this fun experience. Unlike some political figures who choose to build walls that divide communities, our wall brought people together!

We worked hard to make a simple, fun experience that encouraged people to talk about the construction industry and its role in building communities and a better future.

The Conservative Party Conference was a wonderful opportunity to showcase and celebrate our business growth. But, more importantly, to discuss how we build for the future and the community-building issues that matter most to our Housing Association and local government partners.”

Planning futures

The Conference was also an exciting opportunity for Rob Boughton to speak at the Planning Futures Fringe event, that attracted large crowds – some of which had to be turned away! Sponsored by Thakeham, this event saw a lively debate between panel members on building within the green belt, a topic that, as an infrastructure-led developer, Thakeham is keen to address. This meeting roused a debate that engaged the audience and prompted plenty of interaction and discussion.

The Conservative Party Conference consists of over 450 fringe events and receptions. It gives 1100 Conservative party members, the press and the public a chance to learn about and discuss the party’s ideas and policies for the year ahead. For Thakeham, the conference was a roaring success and one that will yield many ideas and relationships useful to building a better future for housebuilding in the UK.