Labour conference to give city £15m boost

© Trinity Mirror

 Wavertree MP Luciana Berger with Labour leader Ed Miliband; the ACC will host the conference

Liverpool is set to benefit from a £15 million windfall as a result of hosting the Labour Party Conference from this Sunday.

The five-day event is expected to see over 11,000 delegates, 2,000 journalists and 500 fringe meetings come to the city, as the party prepares to outline its annual manifesto at the Arena and Conference Centre (ACC) next to the Albert Dock.

The £15m figure is likely to be generated through bars, shops, restaurants and hotels as Labour leader Ed Milliband brings the opposition party to Merseyside only a year after Liverpool hosted the Liberal Democrats’ conference; an event said to have generated £10m for the city’s economy.

Liverpool City Council Leader Joe Anderson has
spoken of his delight over the proposed economic
boost, claiming that it is indicative of the city’s recent
redevelopment.

“This is fantastic news for Liverpool as it clearly
demonstrates we are able to handle one of the biggest
conferences in the country,” said Cllr Anderson.

“It is a great opportunity for us to showcase all that is
good about the City Region and how Liverpool has
been transformed in recent years.

“I know delegates and other visitors will be given an
extremely warm welcome and will want to return to the
city at a later date.”

The BBC is also going to have a considerable
presence in the city over the five days, with Newsnight
and the Andrew Marr show set to the broadcast from
the ACC.

Lorraine Rogers, Chief Executive of The Mersey
Partnership - the City Region’s tourist board - believes
that the conference is somewhat of a coup for the city.

She said: “Liverpool is well known as an exciting and vibrant tourist destination – but attracting such a high profile event as the Labour Party Annual Conference shows that the City Region is now a leading business tourism destination too.

“The ongoing development of quality new hotels gives the City Region the resources to welcome such large numbers. It’s not just about the five days of the Conference - if delegates have the best possible experience then they will return at a later date as a visitor.”

Liverpool’s links to Labour are strong, with the city’s five current MPs Maria Eagle, Louise Ellman, Luciana Berger, Stephen Twigg and Steve Rotheram all representing the party in Parliament.

© Trinity Mirror

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