Timing

Monday 28th September: 09:15 - 10:15

Chair

Chris Belfield, Principal Policy Adviser at JRF

Speakers

Jeevun Sandher MP
Theo Harris, New Economics Foundation
Vince Gomez, Former Bond Trader, The 99% Organisation
Dillon Lancaster, Future Governance Forum

Topic

Bond markets - can governments drive the economy? Or are they in hock to the bond markets?

Is the UK Government powerless to enact policy in the face of bond market? This session will explore the mechanics of bond markets and how the government's cost of borrowing is set, as well as the key factors that affect this. We'll also be looking at the levers the government has at its disposal to create flexibilitiy in spending plans.

We'll look at the mechanics of bond markets, what 'yield' is and what drives costs to the government. We'll look at the Liz Truss debacle and the reality behind that, and we'll consider what actions the government might take to ease their spending options.

Contributors include experts on bond markets with people who've 'been there and done that', as well as Jeevun Sandher who has a PhD in Political Economy and has previously published his analysis of the Truss mini-budget.

About New Economy Fringe

The New Economy Fringe brings together leading thinkers, campaigners and policymakers at the 2026 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to explore bold ideas for building a fairer, greener and more resilient economy. Through lively programme discussion and events, neweconomyfringe.org will create space for fresh thinking, practical solutions and new connections - inspiring action on the economic challenges facing people, communities and the country.

Speaker bios

Chris Belfield, Principal Policy Adviser at JRF

Chris is Chief Economist at JRF, where he leads on economic and fiscal issues aiming to understand the economic challenges that underpin poverty and economic insecurity. Previously, Chris worked at HM Treasury leading teams providing advice on fiscal sustainability and the distributional impact of policy reforms on households. Prior to that, Chris was an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies where he conducted research on education policy and inequality.

Jeevun Sandher MP

Dr Jeevun Sandher has served as MP for Loughborough since 2024 and currently serves as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Before entering Parliament, Jeevun worked as an economist overseas, in academia, and in think tanks.

Theo Harris, New Economics Foundation

Theo Harris is an economist focused on how macroeconomic policy can support a fast and fair green transition in the UK, the EU, and globally. His work has emphasised the importance of improving coordination between fiscal and monetary policy and the need for a longer-term perspective on economic stability. His recent publications have made the case for increased public financing and ownership of infrastructure, reforms to the Bank of England's bond market operations, and a targeted green interest rate.

Vince Gomez, Former Bond Trader, The 99% Organisation

Vince Gomez is a former bond trader and a member of the Bank of England’s citizen forum. Vince had a very successful career in the city—and when the Global Financial Crisis struck, he realised that it was not only economists who had failed to predict it: hardly anyone in the City fully understood what had just happened either. Since then, Vince has been assiduously studying, speaking and writing about the myths we all believed about the economy, and specifically about money.

Dillon Lancaster, Future Governance Forum

Dillon Lancaster managed a £12 billion Global Strategic Bond Fund, composed of government, corporate and financial bonds He now is a Policy associate for the Future Governance Forum concentrating on economic policy where he has just co-authored a paper on Improving access to finance for underinvested founders.