Conservative spring conference to be held in Newport

The Conservative Party will hold its UK spring conference in Newport, during the run-up to May’s Senedd election.

The party said up to 8,000 people will attend the event, at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales, and inject £20m into the local economy.

Tory co-chair Amanda Milling said it would “bring together Conservative supporters from across the country in a key election year for Wales”.

The ICC called the news a “tremendous boost to our events industry”.

ICC chief executive Ian Edwards said the conference, in March, would help the sector “as we look to recover from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The Conservatives said the spring conference will take place “alongside” next year’s Welsh Tory conference.