Britain's ruling Conservative party said on Tuesday it will hold its annual conference largely online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The gathering, the first since Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a landslide election victory in December, was due to be held in October in England's second-largest city, Birmingham. But in a letter to members, Conservative co-chairs Amanda Milling and Ben Elliot said the event bringing politicians and members together will now be predominantly virtual. The pair said they hoped "some aspects" of the conference can go ahead "in the physical format" if permitted under government guidelines and "following the strictest safety guidelines". Britain has been among the hardest hit countries in the world by the outbreak, and is only just beginning to emerge from a nationwide lockdown introduced in late March. Britain's main political parties typically hold their main annual conferences in September and October each year. The main opposition Labour party, headed by new leader Keir Starmer since April, has already said it would replace its September gathering with online events. The smaller opposition Liberal Democrats, which is currently holding its own leadership contest, has also moved its scheduled event online. jj/phz/bsp