Advertisement

Covid passports shelved for now but Tories might need them at conference

The conference  is due to be held as a hybrid online and in-person event  (PA)
The conference is due to be held as a hybrid online and in-person event (PA)

The chief executive of the Manchester venue hosting next month’s Tory party conference admitted there is still “uncertainty” over whether Covid vaccine passports will be required to attend.

Although the Government has shelved plans to introduce Covid certification for nightclubs and indoor venues from the end of the month, its Covid winter plan, unveiled on Tuesday, says businesses could be given just one week’s notice before they are introduced.

The conference is due to be held as a hybrid online and in-person event at the Manchester Central convention centre from October 3-6.

However, chief Shaun Hinds told BBC Radio 4: “We have been in planning for... the best part of this year and even now there remains uncertainty.”

Asked if there were contingency plans to introduce a Covid pass for the event, he said he was in “almost daily” conversation with the conference organisers but “uncertainty around what precisely will apply is causing difficulty”.

In July, some Tory MPs including Steve Baker and Mark Jenkinson said they would not attend the conference if they had to prove their vaccination status.

Read More

Sajid Javid: ‘Jabs are the best way to avoid Plan B restrictions’

Boris Johnson sacks ministers as he begins Cabinet reshuffle

Comment: Sunak must think fast to avoid inflation mire