MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands attends the Conservative Party Conference at Manchester

Falklands will have stand 205, at the Manchester Central Convention Complex and extends an invitation to all visitors and participants. (Pic FIGO)

The Falkland Islands will be present at the annual Conservative Party conference scheduled to begin on Sunday and last until Wednesday, 4 October, when the Prime Minister will be giving one of the closing speeches.

 As it is traditional, the Falklands delegation besides envoys from the Islands, will include the representative of the Islands' Government at the London Office, Richard Hyslop who also during 2023 is the chair of the UK Overseas Territories Association.

Falklands will have stand 205, at the Manchester Central Convention Complex and extends an invitation to all visitors and participants.

The conference takes place during the UK parties' conference season, when the House of Commons is in recess.

It is also said that Rishi Sunak is preparing to channel Margaret Thatcher at the party conference in an attempt to cast aside Tory turmoil.

The conference slogan will be “long-term decisions for a brighter future”. Insiders say No 10 said it was chosen to show Sunak’s willingness to confront difficult truths and do things that risk making him less popular.

Sources recall it was Margaret Thatcher’s address at the 1982 party conference that Sunak would channel, a speech that railed against “false promises”.

Sources have also said that the Prime Minister is set to champion a pro-car agenda at the conference. It’s thought that Sunak will try to deflect criticism of his plan to axe the northern leg of the HS2 high-speed rail project by using his speech to attract motorists instead.

With a general election in UK, likely before early 2025, it is possible that this is the last chance to consider policy without election pressure. A conference next year will either be post-election or in the looming shadow of the imminent election.