Bill de Blasio to be International Speaker at the Labour Party Conference

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will be the International Speaker at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference in Manchester, England on Wednesday, September 24th.

The Mayor will deliver a speech on the urgent need to develop and execute strategies to tackle income inequality on the final day of the conference – the last before Britain’s General Election in May 2015. Mayor de Blasio will also hold a private meeting with Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party, in Manchester.

Mr de Blasio was elected Mayor of New York in November 2013 in a landslide victory. He is the first Democratic mayor of the city since 1993.
His role as International Speaker at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference will see him follow in the footsteps of other notable figures from around the world including Nelson Mandela and President Clinton.

Mayor de Blasio said:

“The fight against income inequality doesn’t stop at a city limit, a state line or an international border. It’s an issue that confronts us all, in every corner of the world, and it demands a unified response.

“To truly lift up more people, families and communities struggling to make it in tough economic conditions, we must truly have a shared vision, and a shared strategy.”

Mr Miliband said:

“There have always been close links between the Labour Party and leading Democrats. But I am particularly pleased that Bill de Blasio has agreed to speak at our pre-election conference this year.

“I followed his election campaign closely and I have been impressed by the work he has done since taking office in January for everyday New Yorkers so they can begin to share in, as well as create, a successful future for their great city.

“We both recognise we face a generational challenge to ensure that hard work is properly rewarded, that young people get a fair shot in life, and that the cost-of-living crisis for working families is tackled.

“It is an international challenge for progressive leaders in the United Kingdom, in the United States, and across the developed world. I look forward to meeting the Mayor and to hearing a speech that I know will be one of the highlights of our week in Manchester.”

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