CCHQ have waived the £137 ticket fee to hacks attending Party Conference in October. It will now be free for media organisations to attend, although only those who “contribute towards the costs of the media centre or have stands in the conference zone will be granted access to the media centre”. Those who’ve paid already will be refunded…

Last year the accreditation fee was £125, with the media centre fee – which gets you a desk near the conference floor – also costing £125. Hacks kicked up a fuss about having to pay to enter, and CCHQ have reverse ferreted. Although they warned media organisations last night that failing to activate a pass “without good reason” will incur a fee at next year’s conference – likely to stop hundreds of BBC hacks registering for the fun of it, and then not turning up. Guido also hears they’ll be policing the media centre more closely this year, given it’s now £250 just to get in…