Anthony Albanese faces criticism for speaking at UK Labour Party ConferenceLatika BurkeThe NightlySun, 28 September 2025 8:30PMCommentsComments
Anthony Albanese has been accused of “swanning around on the taxpayer dollar” amidst mounting criticism for rounding out his official overseas visit to England at the UK Labour Party conference.
Australia’s Prime Minister will address the left-wing party’s annual conference in Liverpool on Sunday (UK time) before heading home via Abu Dhabi.
He will be the first Australian Prime Minister to address the political gathering, where he is intending to tell UK Labour members that institutions are under threat and that like Australian Labor members, they stand ready to defend democracy together.
“We all know this is a time when trust in governments and institutions is under challenge,” Mr Albanese will say.
“We all sense this is an era when our capacity for peaceful disagreement is being tested.
“But I what I see here in UK Labour, is the same determination that I know lives in every member of Australian Labor.
“An absolute resolve to stand together and defend democracy itself.”
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Shadow foreign affairs minister Michaelia Cash attacked Mr Albanese for attending and supporting political events overseas.
“He shouldn’t be swanning around on the taxpayer dollar at Labor political conferences hanging out with his left-wing mates,” Ms Ley said.
“What does it say to the people of the UK that the Australian Prime Minister is deliberately participating in domestic political events – that is not diplomacy it is partisanship.
“If the Prime Minister wants to turn an official trip into a personal detour to the UK Labour Party conference, Australians are entitled to know how much it is costing them and whether he intends to make any personal contribution to cover it.”
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Albanese justified the trip for advancing Australian interests, with discussions over the AUKUS military partnership and other economic issues.
He has also met with the leader of the conservative party Kemi Badenoch.
“In Liverpool, I’ll be having discussions with ministers, not just with Prime Minister Starmer,” Mr Albanese said.
“In the UK, I got an invitation from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, yesterday I was able to meet with the Prime Ministers of Spain, Iceland, Canada, the UK, as well as with Kemi Badenoch.
“I’m not sure what Sussan Ley’s comment means for that, but we have an important economic relationship with our Free Trade Agreement.”
Ms Cash told Sky the conference was a domestic political event put on by and for the UK Labour Party, not an Australian Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister is in the United Kingdom, I thought, as the Prime Minister of Australia. He is not there as the leader of the (Australian) Labor Party,” she said.
“If Mr Albanese wants to turn this into a little trip where he basically now goes functions that are of a domestic political nature and are directly related to the Labor Party, he needs to be up front with that and the cost to the Australian people.”
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