Ella Henderson’s performance at Tory party conference no indication of ‘political affiliation’

‘X Factor’ contestant had been criticised after performing at TikTok-sponsored event in Birmingham on Tuesday

Ella Henderson’s performance at the Conservative party conference is no indication of her “political affiliation”, her representatives have insisted.

On Tuesday (4 October) night, the former X Factor contestant took to the stage as part of the Amped event sponsored by TikTok and UK Music at the political conference, which is being held in Birmingham.

As footage circulated on social media showing Henderson singing her song “Ghost”, many Twitter users criticised the singer for performing at the event.

In particular, commenters pointed to Henderson’s recent string of performances at Pride festivals across the UK, with one tweet reading: “How can you flip flop between performing at Pride to performing for right-wing bigots?”

In a statement shared with The Independent, a representative for UK Music and TikTok said that Henderson’s performance at the event was not a partisan act and that she had been scheduled to perform at a similar Labour event too.

“Ella Henderson performed as guest of UK Music and TikTok at the Conservative Party Conference, following a similar event at the Labour Party Conference the week before,” the statement read.

“Ella was due to perform at the Labour Party Conference as well but had to pull out due to illness.”

Henderson at Brighton Pride in August (Getty Images)

It continued: “These events do not indicate political affiliation and are held to highlight the importance of the UK’s music sector and the success of our talent on a global stage.

“It’s vital that those in government and opposition appreciate the importance of the UK music industry both economically and culturally and that’s why UK Music – which is the representative body for the sector – exists and works on the industry’s behalf.”

Elsewhere at the conference, prime minister Liz Truss picked “Moving On Up” by M People to open her speech.

Follow updates from the Tory party conference here.