Tory chiefs are selling access to their new Chancellor for £2,990 a head, it emerged tonight.
The party has attached the eye-watering price tag to tickets for a ‘Business Day’ at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Its description on the party website boasts: “Join our new Chancellor for their take on global finances, meet up with old friends and make new ones, and discover the latest thinking which will help your business prosper.”
The conference will be held in Birmingham on October 2-5, less than a month after the new Prime Minister takes office. Liz Truss is expected to replace Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng if she wins.
Steve Goodrich of campaign group Transparency International UK told The Guardian - which revealed the advert - the move “reinforces public concerns that cash buys privileged access and influence in our democracy.
“The way these top-tier stands are advertised as buying time with ministers may give rise to the perception that you must pay to be heard in politics.
“For individuals and businesses struggling with the rising cost of living, this could signal their voice is not worth being listened to.”
The ‘Business Day’ - which also provides a ticket to the four-day conference - is much more expensive than alternative tickets to the Birmingham knees-up.
Tory members pay £220, exhibitors pay £400 and “commercial” attendees pay £1,200 to enter the conference, behind a tight security cordon.
The Business Day also includes a dinner - priced at £400 for those without a full pass to the day - which promises to “take your business to the next level”.
The description on the Tory website adds: “The Conservative Party’s prestigious Business Day returns on Monday 3 October.
“This is your chance to hear from the Conservative Party’s core team, put your questions directly to key decision makers in the Party and network with other business leaders.”
Attendees also get “reserved seating for the Chancellor’s keynote speech, as well as a lunch with Senior members of the Conservative Party and other invitations to exclusive Conference events.”
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “This event is an important opportunity to engage directly with businesses and to highlight how we continue to back business and enterprise as we build back from the pandemic and tackle the economic challenges ahead.
“All political parties hold business events at their conferences, and we have been holding such events at our conference for decades.”
