JOURNALISTS will no longer be charged to attend the Conservatives’ party conference this year, it has been announced.
The move has been hailed as a victory for “press freedom” by the industry lobby group the News Media Association (NMA) who have been holding talks, alongside other media organisations, with the party on the issue for months.
No other UK political party charges journalists to attend their party conferences – but the Tories had previously defended their policy on the grounds too many journalists were applying for media accreditation then failing to turn up.
The Society of Editors, also involved in the talks, said the Tories had also agreed to refund those who had already purchased passes.
But those who apply for a pass then fail to show could face a levy when applying for future conferences.
A coalition of media groups including the Foreign Press Association, the News Media Association, the News Media Coalition, and the Society of Editors, were involved in the talks.
The Tories’ decision had been under intense criticism, including from the Council of Europe, on the grounds it endangered the principle of open democracy.
In a statement, the groups involved in the talks said: “Following dialogue between the Conservative Party and industry bodies, we welcome the decision to withdraw the media accreditation fee and refund those that have already paid.
“As recognised by the party, all party conferences provide a valuable opportunity for political parties to communicate their policies to the public and ahead of an anticipated general election year, the ability of the media to scrutinise and report freely from such events remains especially important and vital for democracy.
“In agreeing to scrap the fee, the party has asked that journalists and news organisations are mindful of the number of applications they submit to attend the conference.
“While it is understood that the news agenda often dictates last minute changes, there remains a significant cost and time resource associated with accrediting applications – not least for the police.
“We are grateful to the party for listening to our concerns and acting accordingly.”
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with a range of trade associations which addresses the concerns of both sides.
“We believe this revised system will deal with the issues of ‘no shows’ and prevent non-journalists applying for media passes to evade accreditation charges.”
