Prime Minister Boris Johnson is heading to Manchester ahead of the Conservative Party conference.
Thousands of Tory delegates will be converging in the city centre as the party's annual conference hits the region in the coming days, starting tomorrow (Sunday, October 2).
The event will run through to Wednesday at the Manchester Central convention complex, and nearby venues around the city.
READ MORE: Security ramps up as Conservative Party conference begins in Manchester
Boris Johnson is now on the way to Manchester, said his party, just before 7pm this evening.
In a tweet, the Conservative Party captioned a picture of the Prime Minister beside a train, saying: "We’re on the way to Manchester. We’re getting on with the job. We’re delivering on the people’s priorities. #CPC21"
As the Conservative Party leadership descends, along with other MPs, councillors and a host of other attendees, safeguarding measures have been ramped up in the city centre in one of the largest 24-hour security operations in the UK.
Security barriers and cordons have also already been installed in and around Manchester Central and the Midland Hotel, where the majority of attendees will be staying, while many surrounding roads will be closed for the duration of the event.
The security measures come as, this afternoon, pro-European protesters descended on St Peter's Square - close to where the conference is being held.
Party conferences have been a key feature in Manchester’s events calendar for more than a decade as members and leaders meet to discuss and share ideas.
It will be Boris Johnson’s second Tory party conference in the city with the prime minister having visited in the months prior to the 2019 general election.
