Campaign group’s conference to host up to 40 MPs from across the party, a year after being seen as rival to main event

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Just 12 months ago, it was a “rival conference” viewed with suspicion by most Labour MPs. A year later, Momentum’s conference feels part of the furniture, expected to host up to 40 MPs and speakers from across the party’s political spectrum.

The lineup of Labour politicians at The World Transformed 2017 includes the former deputy prime minister John Prescott, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell and shadow attorney general, Shami Chakrabarti, as well as Lisa Nandy, who co-chaired Owen Smith’s challenge to Jeremy Corbyn last summer.

The shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, another MP not typically associated with the party’s left, will speak on addiction and mental health.

Several newly elected MPs also have prime slots to speak at the conference, including the Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad and North West Durham MP Laura Pidcock, seen as one of the most promising new MPs on the party’s left despite recently causing widespread debate for comments on how she would not be willing to “hang out” with Conservative MPs.

Tracy Brabin, the MP for Batley and Spen – who took the seat after the murder of Jo Cox by the far-right terrorist Thomas Mair, will also appear in the programme for the first time, as will Dawn Butler, the shadow minister for women and equalities, who landed the job on Thursday after the departure of Sarah Champion.

The grassroots festival will run across nine venues alongside the official Labour conference in Brighton, with ambitions to sell or distribute up to 8,000 tickets for attendees to watch 200 speakers.

Headliners will include Naomi Klein, the Canadian author and critic of capitalism, the film director Ken Loach and Soweto Kinch, a Mercury prize-nominated jazz and hip-hop artist.

The conference will host a performance of The Enemies Within, a verbatim play about the miners’ strike written in 1985, directed by Olivier-winning theatre director David Thacker. Two late-night parties will take place at venues across the seaside town.

The programme does contain some workshops which could raise eyebrows from traditionalists. A debate on the concept of “Acid Corbynism” is promised, as well as a DJ set from Horse Meat Disco

Digital activism is a key plank of the programme, with one of the venues acting as a hub for activists to meet to “discuss, design and build the digital tools Labour needs for winning the next election”.

Anastasia Palikeras, one of the conference’s organisers, said Momentum’s role in the election campaign had been key to winning over more MPs.

“It’s a testament to the success of last year’s festival, Momentum’s contribution to Labour’s extraordinary electoral comeback and how the party has united behind Jeremy and his transformative manifesto,” she said of the group’s move into the mainstream. “We’re delighted so many MPs from across the party are speaking.”

Party chiefs are planning a slimmed-down speaking programme on the conference main stage, with spots only guaranteed for the most senior shadow cabinet ministers such as McDonnell, Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry.

Others will see their speaking times cut and prominent Labour politicians including the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Manchester metro mayor, Andy Burnham, could face the chop from the programme entirely.

Labour’s vastly expanded membership has long called for an increased role at conference, with more time for councillors and grassroots activists to speak on the conference floor, a move backed by Corbyn.

Labour sources said they expected the trimmed speaking programme would mean action from top politicians would move to the fringe events rather than the main stage, with recognisable names keen for prominent billings elsewhere.