The Labour Party has revealed that those attending the annual party conference in September – the first in-person gathering since Keir Starmer became leader – will need to provide either evidence of double vaccination or a recent negative lateral flow test.
In a message to conference attendees, the party reiterated that it is planning an in-person conference and confirmed that it will be take steps “to reduce risk and to provide reassurance to those attending”.
Labour will “encourage” conference-goers “to wear a facemask when in any conference venue to provide reassurance to others, unless exempt”, the email informs attendees.
“We are working to offer testing facilities at conference and full details will be available in a Covid guidebook to be circulated prior to conference,” it adds.
“Everyone over the age of 18 attending conference will be required to provide EITHER evidence of double vaccination or a recent negative lateral flow test (currently 48 hours from the test result).”
It concludes: “We hope that this email will help you to plan for conference and know that we are working hard to ensure our conference will go ahead as planned.
“We also hope that the measures in place will provide reassurance to our delegates and visitors. If you can no longer attend due to the above measures, please contact conference services who can arrange a refund.”
Starmer has previously taken a favourable to position Covid passports – for nightclubs and mass events, rather than everyday essentials such as food and medicine – if the vaccine element is required as well as negative Covid tests.
“We’ve got to be careful at mass events. The principle of double vaccination and a negative test is one I would support… I think tests are more useful than double vaccinations,” the Labour leader told LBC in July.
Asked about the vote on Covid passports expected in September, he said: “Passports on their own aren’t enough. As we know, sadly, you can be double-jabbed and still get the new variant. It’s got to be passports plus testing.”
Starmer’s spokesperson at the time said: “Being double-jabbed doesn’t prove you aren’t carrying the virus. Testing for access to venues would be more efficient, and would give people and businesses more certainty.”
The newly unveiled conference policy for coronavirus measures appears to contradict the stance set out by the Labour leader and his spokesperson.
A Labour source said: “We’ve worked with the venue to risk assess conference, something the Welsh government has recently mandated all businesses to do. As well as using the NHS Covid pass, we are asking attendees to wear masks where appropriate.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and any new government guidance, and adapt as necessary to ensure the safety of delegates, visitors and staff.”
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