8 May 2026
Event will interrogate what local elections means for business and public affairs
The dust has yet to settle on the May 2026 local elections, and already the tremors are being felt across Britain's political landscape. Former Bolton North East MP Mark Logan will be joining a panel of leading experts on Thursday 14th May at KPMG Manchester to make sense of what many are calling a seismic shift in British politics.
The elections delivered a political earthquake that no single party can afford to ignore. Reform UK and other emerging forces carved deep into Conservative and Labour strongholds alike, leaving the old electoral map looking barely recognisable. But as with any earthquake, it is the aftershocks, slower, subtler, potentially more impactful, that will define what comes next.
Mark will be a guest on the Devo North Network's live podcast and soirée, joining Labour Together's JP Spencer, IPPR North's Mirte Boot, author and political commentator Kevin Meagher, and Devo Agency co-founder Gill Morris. Together, the panel will examine the "post-match analysis" of a remarkable night, and what the results mean specifically for the devolved North of England.
The timing could not be more significant. With the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 now on the statute book, the question of who controls the levers of power in the North has become more consequential than ever. A fragmented political landscape complicates the delivery of devolution, potentially delaying the investment and reform the region so badly needs.
Mark brings a distinctive perspective to the debate: as a former Conservative MP who crossed the floor to Labour, he understands the fault lines within both established parties, and the frustrations driving voters toward alternatives.
The event takes place at 1 St Peter's Square, Manchester, from 3:15–5:00pm. Tickets are limited.