Politics

Ella Henderson performed at Conservative Party Conference and Twitter isn’t impressed

Ella Henderson performed at Conservative Party Conference and Twitter isn’t impressed

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IndependentTV

With every political party conference, it seems inevitable that footage of someone singing will appear online at some point – we’re still not over deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey belting out “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” last year.

Now, it seems we have to deal with former X Factor contestant and “Glitterball” singer Ella Henderson making an appearance at this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, something which has taken Twitter users by surprise.

Video footage of Henderson’s performance was shared by Scottish Conservatives member John White on Tuesday night, showing her singing a line from her debut single, “Ghost”.

However, the musician has come under fire for performing at the TikTok and UK Music-sponsored event, with some referencing the fact she performed at this year’s Brighton Pride back in August and is now performing for a party “that makes queer lives a misery”.

At the time, Henderson said on Instagram: “Words don’t and won’t ever describe the love I have for the LGBTQ+ community! You are all forever a part of me and in my heart!

“I promise to do everything I can with my platform and voice to create awareness, cultivate change and mostly spread love, light and equality in honour of each and every one of you.”

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Her previous support of LGBTQ+ was mentioned by social media users on Wednesday, who accused her of “fake allyship”:

In a statement shared with The Independent, a UK Music and TikTok representative insisted Henderson’s performance at the conference does not “indicate political affiliation”.

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

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

“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.”

Henderson is yet to publicly respond to the criticism.

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