Tory party conference to be moved online

The annual Conservative Party conference will be moved online this year because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Conservative Party chair Amanda Milling confirmed in a letter to members that the event, scheduled to take place in Birmingham this October, would be moved online.

Milling’s letter added that some live party events could still go ahead as planned under “the strictest safety guidelines”, should government rules in place at the time allow it.

Although she expressed disappointment that the party conference could not go ahead as planned, Milling emphasised that the health and safety of attendees was the “first priority” for the Conservatives, with thousands of journalists, activists and party members normally in attendance at such events.

Milling added that the full details of the new virtual conference will be disclosed in due course, while any who have already purchased conference passes for the live event will be contacted by the party with additional guidance.

Both the Labour Party and Lib Dems had announced back in May that their annual conferences would be replaced by online-only events, with the Conservatives now following suit.