The Newspaper Conference of London-based regional press correspondents has secured a notable coup after Lord Mandelson agreed to address its annual lunch next month.

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills will address an audience of local media publishers, journalists and media industry opinion formers at the event in London on 30 November.

The annual lunch is the main event of the Conference calendar which is made up of a series of lunches with senior politicians throughout the year.

Previous speakers over the past decade have included Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and David Cameron.

Conference chairman Matt Chorley told HTFP: “Despite Lord Mandelson’s recent comments about some sections of the national media, this is a great opportunity for the regional press to hear from arguably the most powerful man in the Government.

“With a general election just around the corner, having a correspondent in the lobby is a massive advantage for regional newspapers to talk direct to the big political players, and they don’t come much bigger than the First Secretary of State.”