We were so proud of Manchester last year when the Labour conference brought more than 5,000 delegates and visitors who invested £15 million in the city's economy.

Hosting conferences is big business now for Manchester; the area around G-Mex - now known as Manchester Central - is perfect with its hotels, exhibition halls, nearby restaurants and open public spaces. I've heard that a few delegates also escape from conferences for a bit of shopping and a visit or two to some of our sports facilities. We've achieved immense publicity for modern-day Manchester due to the happy experiences of journalists from all over the world. And we'll be welcoming them back for some more major conferences in years to come, including the main Tory Party annual conference. That should be interesting.