UK company bosses are steering clear of Reform UK’s Birmingham conference

with most large corporates opting to send public affairs specialists rather than chief executives, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The decision, driven by reputational risk management and a desire to avoid partisan signalling, illustrates how business is recalibrating political engagement after a fractious electoral cycle.

Public affairs advisers said attendance by government‑relations teams preserves lines of communication without the optics of top‑table endorsements. Companies have faced investor and employee pushback over high‑profile political appearances, and many now apply stricter guidelines across party gatherings. With the Conservatives rebuilding under a new leadership and Labour preparing a late‑November Budget, business groups are prioritising forums likely to yield concrete policy detail.

For Reform UK, which is courting business audiences while attacking what it calls “orthodoxy” on tax and regulation, the absence of CEOs is a setback in efforts to present itself as a mainstream pro‑enterprise force. Lobbyists said the Birmingham programme will still draw consultants, SMEs and sector bodies, but blue‑chip representation will be thin beyond liaison staff. The stance underscores how UK corporates are spreading exposure across party conferences rather than concentrating bets, particularly amid market unease over fiscal policy and gilt volatility.

Investor focus remains on the practical implications of the 26 November Budget and the BoE’s policy path. In that context, companies are reserving their most senior engagement for meetings that offer clarity on taxation, planning and energy, rather than platforms where policy is still being defined.