Labour party conference will return to Manchester

David Ottewell

August 12, 2009

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Gordon Brown at the 2008 Labour Party conference in Manchester

MANCHESTER is to become the main home of the Labour party conference - hosting the money-spinning event in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

The news, confirmed by the party today, will be worth an estimated £50m to the local economy.

It means Manchester, which hosted the event in 2006 and 2008, will have been the host city every second year for nearly a decade.

That is on top of the Conservative conference being held in Manchester for the first time later this year.

Conference capital

The news cements Manchester's place as Britain's political 'conference capital' despite fierce competition from rivals like Birmingham and Glasgow.

Experts believe private and public-sector conference have been worth around £100m to Greater Manchester over the past three years - while also boosting its international profile.

Labour's decision to hold its week-long conference in Manchester in 2006 marked the first time it had visited the city since 1917 - and saw Tony Blair deliver his last keynote speech as prime minister.

The 2008 event made national headlines as Gordon Brown saw off a potential coup with a passionate address to the conference hall.

Labour had already confirmed it would return in 2010 - and decided today to add Manchester to the calendar for 2012 and 2014.

There was good news for Liverpool, too, which will host the Labour conference for the first time in 2011.

Phil Woolas MP, Labour's minister for the north west, said: "This is fantastic news for both Liverpool and Manchester and we're very proud to have the Labour party conference regularly coming to the north west in the next few years.

"As Manchester has proven, the Labour party conference will generate millions of pounds for the region's economy with thousands of visitors including delegates, ambassadors, journalists, and business people coming to the city."

the Labour party conference will generate millions of pounds for the region's economy with thousands of visitors including delegates, ambassadors, journalists, and business people coming to the city
Phil Woolas

Ray Collins, the Labour party's general secretary, said: "The annual conference is the highlight of the party's year, a time when party members come together to discuss how to achieve Labour's vision of a fair future for all.

"Labour broke new ground when we held conference in Manchester in 2006 and in 2011 we will be the first party to visit Liverpool. New host cities provide us with the opportunity to broaden potential conference venues and the people that attend."

Politicians, delegates and the media have all praised Manchester during previous conference for the quality of its facilities and traffic links. It has a ready-made 'conference quarter', based around Manchester Central - formerly known as the G-Mex - with the Midland and Radisson hotels less than one minute's walk away.

Police are able to throw up a 'ring of steel' around the conference zone, patrolled by up to 1,000 police each day.

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markyboy, manchester (12/08/2009 at 18:42)

in 2010 it will be their first conference after getting booted out - cant wait!!! bye bye brown, big ears blears et all!!!!

Esso Blue. One who pwess all button is not always well in head, Manchester (12/08/2009 at 19:19)

I'm sharpening my pencil already.

Gary Salamander (12/08/2009 at 19:30)

Wouldn't the Circus Tavern be a more appropriately sized venue for their remaining supporters?

Is It Me? (12/08/2009 at 19:35)

Hope it is a no smoking conference,Mr Leese!

Esso Blue. One who pwess all button is not always well in head, Manchester (12/08/2009 at 19:35)

Gary Salamander, let's be honest you would have to be a clown ringleader to suggest the circus tavern.

john davis, Broughton, Salford (12/08/2009 at 19:59)

I See gobs***e Woolas is as ever in the news on this one

Rasputin II, niatirb drawkcab (12/08/2009 at 20:35)

This is great news for our wonderful City. Even the Tories are caving in to the magic of Manchester.

Well done Gordon.

Thomas The Tank, Rusholme (12/08/2009 at 20:52)

Well please tell them to get lost!! Go takeover some other city we don't need trash like this in town, there is enough garbage without them adding to the mess.

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (12/08/2009 at 21:40)

I think Phil Woolas may have to downgrade his estimates of money generation to the local economy of Labour Conferences after 2010. I believe there are several underused phone boxes about the City that may be more than adequate to hold the event!

Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (12/08/2009 at 22:07)

"Wouldn't the Circus Tavern be a more appropriately sized venue for their remaining supporters?"

Or Strangeways

Playing The Race Card (12/08/2009 at 22:30)

Yes Labour will be good for the economy of Manchester but as for the economy od the country ?

Joe Pub, Manchester (13/08/2009 at 00:56)

Hope they have their ID cards with them.

J.Hall, Tameside (13/08/2009 at 05:25)

Another ring of steel around the bulging wallet/purses Politicians eh ??
Its us Joe Public who needs the ring of steel around us to protect us from them.

MancLadUK, Manchester (13/08/2009 at 05:48)

Excellent!

I look forward to the road closures, extra security and fed up police staff stood on long houred cordons. The disruption it causes our city, making people late for work and closing areas off, is brilliant.

What a boost.......................................................not

Ron, Gorton (13/08/2009 at 06:51)

£50m! How? If 400 peopel attended that means that they would spend £125,000 EACH on food, hotels, taxis etc over the three day period. That isn't possible so please explain where you get £50m from.

Also this conference disrupts Manchester city centre and causes chaos for those living in the city and travelling in and out. The Metrolink stops running past G-Mex, roads are sealed off etc. I thought that the government and council were trying to reduce congestion in town yet before, during and just after this conference the city centre is brought to a standstill. It should be held out of town like when they had the G8 at Gleneagles.

I am sure that the bill to council taxpayers ran into millions last time too.

FrostySnowman (13/08/2009 at 07:45)

So this bunch of losers causing disruption and security issues around the city. Truth is there are very few places they have any sort of 'fanbase'.

markyboy, manchester (13/08/2009 at 08:30)

waht i find truly disgusting is that this labour bunch of ne'er do wells have consistently stabbed mancunians in the back promising lots of new schemes/wheezes/scams and then bottle out of them at the last minute.
why do these chancers want to come to a city that they have starved of funding and new jobs???

dessie, manchester (13/08/2009 at 08:49)

WE DONT WANT LABOUR ANYWHERE NEAR MANCHESTER, THEY HAVE FAILED IN CRIME, UNEMPLOYMENT,SPENDING ETC........TIME TO SAY BYE BYE NEW LABOUR YOU TRIED YOUR BEST BUT FAILED MISERABLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frequent Flyer, Altrincham (13/08/2009 at 09:15)

LET THEM GO TO ANOTHER PLACE AND ANOTHER TIME - HOW MUCH DOES THIS ALL COST IN POLICING - ROAD CLOSURES - AND TOTAL DISRUPTION - AND YET IS IS CLASSED AS A 'MONEY SPINNER' - BY WHO - FOR WHO ?? IS THAT THE SPIN OF A LABOUR COUNCIL ??
'Police are able to throw up a 'ring of steel' around the conference zone, patrolled by up to 1,000 police each day.' - SOUNDS LIKE A BARGAIN !!

umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT (13/08/2009 at 09:15)

why do you lot always jump on the bandwagon with the rubbish that you speak!

Now, think about it, They are coming to Manchester, bringing Money to the area, Hotels, Guest Houses, bars, clubs and shopping and if you do not believe that, then it is time that you go the same way you think they are going to go in the next election!

I am one for the conference to be here, because It gives me a chance to have my say to those in charge because they give you a chance to talk to them at least, more than you can say for the leaders from Salford or Manchester councils.

Frequent Flyer, Altrincham (13/08/2009 at 09:22)

£50m! How? If 400 peopel attended that means that they would spend £125,000 EACH on food, hotels, taxis etc over the three day period. That isn't possible so please explain where you get £50m from.Ron, Gorton, .
13/08/2009 at 06:51 - WELL SAID - YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT THE MPS PLUS 'ALL' THEIR HANGERS ON WILL NOT BE PAYING OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS !! SO £50m ?? - MPs EXPENCES MAYBE ?? GOVERNMENT FUNDING ??
I JUST WONDER AT WHAT PRICE TO THE TAX PAYER !! AND MORE TO THE POINT - THE MANCHESTER TAX PAYER. WHY DONT THEY KEEP IT IN LONDON LIKE THEY DO WITH ALL 'A' LISTED 'MAJOR' EVENTS - OR IS THIS BARELY A 'C' RATED EVENT !!

tony (13/08/2009 at 10:36)

Sorry Umpire 2....they give YOU a chance to speak to them....really? This lot are nothing more than an elected dictaorship. Want to bet Joe Public will end up paying for this jamboree through even higher council taxes? They actually listen to YOU, they don't even listen to the country!
I would suggest they don their hair shirts and head to Dartmoor. There this shower can cause as much congestion as they want....amongst the goats....and in particular the sheep....they love sheep, thats what they think the Labour voters are...sheep, know what? They are right.
Thanks to Brown and Co. the tories are going to win the next election, Baa Baa Baa....

PW, Manchester (13/08/2009 at 10:45)

I don't mind the opposition party having their shindigs in Manchester.

Crumpsall-Lass, Crumpsall (13/08/2009 at 10:45)

Do we have to have this bunch of right wingers in our fair city. Can't they stay where they belong in the South East...after all, that's the only group of people who decide our undemocratic elections in this country. Or better still, hold the conference in the city of Westminster and let the tory council pay for a change.

Chapman (13/08/2009 at 11:05)

What a set of no hopers and losers Mancunians have become.Content to wallow at the bottom of the pit and put down everything that Manchester tries to do.
If it was left to some of you people commenting on here the city would just be a scrapheap of failure.

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