When does the Conservative Party Conference 2022 start? Date Liz Truss speaks, where is it, agenda - explained

Lots of things have changed in the Conservative Party in recent weeks and months, but their annual party conference will still be going ahead.

In the time that she has been leader since Boris Johnson announced he was resigning as Prime Minister, Liz Truss has been highly criticised for her economic decisions that has seen the pound slump in a considerable way.

Both Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Truss stuck to their guns after their mini-budget was announced this week, causing a £65 billion Bank of England bailout.

Truss was named as the new party leader after an intense leadership contest between herself and Rishi Sunak throughout the summer. Sunak had warned that her policies were not viable and called it a “moral failure”. The former chancellor will not attend the Conservative Party conference this year, according to reports.

The contest began after Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday 7 July and, after almost two months of uncertainty, Truss was announced as the winner of the leadership contenst on Monday 5 September.

The annual conference sees the Prime Minister and senior ministers address supporters over a few days.

Here’s everything we know about it so far.

When is the Conservative Party Conference 2022?

The Conservative Party Conference will take place between  Sunday 2 October and Wednesday 5 October 2022.

Where is the Conservative Party Conference 2022 being held?

The conference is being held at The International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham, West Midlands.

Opened by The Queen in 1999, The ICC is in Birmingham city centre and has hosted a wide variety of events, including past party political conferences.

It will also be held online via a virtual platform, so everyone can attend even if they can’t visit the conference in person.

What’s on the agenda at the Conservative Party Conference 2022?

The Conservative Party has released the main agenda for the conference, and it includes the great skills debate, a welcome for new young conservatives, and a small buiness programme.

There will also be tributes to Queen Elizabeth II who died on Thursday 8 September, just two days after she met Liz Truss to formally invite her to form a new government on Tuesday 6 September.

The Conservative Party’s Business Day will also return on Monday 3 October. On this day, attendees will hear from the Conservative Party’s core team and have an opportunity to put their questions directly to key decision makers in the Party, as well as network with other business leaders.

Sunday, October 2

On Sunday, there will be speeches from Penny Mordaunt, Andy Street, Jake Berry, Chris Heaton-Harris, Douglas Ross, Robert Buckland, and Ben Wallace.

Monday, October 3

Kwasi Kwarteng, Michelle Donelan, Kemi Badenoch, Ranil Jayawardena, Chloe Smith, and Jacob Rees-Mogg will all make speeches on Monday.

Tuesday, October 4

Tuesday’s event will feature speeches from Kit Malthouse, Therese Coffey, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Brandon Lewis, Suella Braverman, and James Cleverly.

Wednesday, October 5

The final day of the conference will see speeches from Jake Berry, Nadhim Zahawi, and finally, Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Wednesday’s event takes place between 10 am and noon, so we can expect to see Truss make a speech sometime during late morning.

Can I attend the Conservative Party Conference 2022?

Yes, you can attend tickets to the conference by booking tickets via the official Conservative Party website.

You will need to register to be able to book tickets. You can begin your registration online now. Advance and standard rate tickets have already been sold, but late registration tickets are still available.

Late registration tickets will then be available for last minute attendees between Monday 26 September and Wednesday 5 October 2022, with prices starting at £200.

You can also attend the conference virtually for free. To work out which ticket you need, you can use the ticket finder tool. For membership or conference queries please email [email protected].

How to watch Conservative Party Conference 2022?

It is expected that, as with previous years, most of the 2022 conference will not be televised.

It is thought, however, that the major speeches will be covered by the main news channels.

There will also be live streams on the Conservative Party’s official YouTube account.