Will as many individuals as final yr come to Tory convention? I’ve a leak that helps discover this – and it reveals the social gathering itself is anticipating fewer.
Usually you aren’t getting any detailed breakdowns of convention information – who’s coming and in what class.
However I have been shared an early lower of the numbers from this yr. What you’ll be able to see above is a screenshot of the information despatched to the social gathering board.
I’m advised this desk is from 11 August and reveals the then-current attendance figures which had been despatched to the Conservative Get together board. They revealed numbers because of be coming to Manchester this week, lagging on final yr.
You may see that at that stage, there are greater than 1,000 fewer members because of come to convention than had been listed in early August 2024.
Picture:
Supporters at this yr’s Tory social gathering convention greet their chief Kemi Badenoch. Pic: PA
Certainly, the social gathering’s goal is markedly decrease. There are additionally fewer Younger Conservatives, although by a a lot smaller margin.
Nevertheless, the variety of business friends is up on final yr, as is donors, generally known as ‘Treasurer’s Visitors’, though the quantity planning to attend Enterprise Day on Monday is down.
The ‘Margaret Thatcher one hundredth,’ a commemoration of her life, is a brand new occasion to mark the centenary of the previous Conservative prime minister’s delivery which is on 13 October.
I am advised the present variety of members coming to Manchester is 3,500, though that’s calculated on a distinct foundation to those – and consists of Younger Conservatives.
Power
One other supply advised me the variety of members coming to convention – calculated on the above foundation – is round 2,800 but it surely was not attainable to confirm that.
A Conservative spokesman stated: “This out-of-date report doesn’t mirror the energy of Conservative Get together convention 2025.
“There are thousands of members – many new to the party – hundreds of businesses, and many other delegates attending to hear Kemi Badenoch’s bold new vision for the country.
“This convention the Conservatives will display they’re the one social gathering that may be trusted to ship a stronger economic system and stronger borders for the nation.”
In response to the leaked data, Reform UK posted on X, “The Conservative Get together is completed.”
