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| Labour moderates warn Corbyn party must be clear on key policies | Labour moderates warn Corbyn party must be clear on key policies |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Labour moderates have used the first day of the party’s conference to start a fightback against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, saying they welcomed the end of tightly controlled debates but warned that confusion over touchstone issues would put off voters. | Labour moderates have used the first day of the party’s conference to start a fightback against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, saying they welcomed the end of tightly controlled debates but warned that confusion over touchstone issues would put off voters. |
| Related: Labour MPs likely to get a free vote on Trident, Watson says - Politics live | Related: Labour MPs likely to get a free vote on Trident, Watson says - Politics live |
| Lord Falconer, the shadow justice secretary and now one of the party’s leading moderates, claimed the Labour leader’s willingness to allow disagreement was exhilarating, but said Labour would eventually have to offer voters a collective view on foreign and economic policy. | |
| He again warned he would have to quit the shadow cabinet if the party backed unilateral nuclear disarmament, but added that there would be chances to prepare a more nuanced view in the months ahead. | He again warned he would have to quit the shadow cabinet if the party backed unilateral nuclear disarmament, but added that there would be chances to prepare a more nuanced view in the months ahead. |
| Falconer and other moderates are walking a delicate tightrope, respecting Corbyn’s electoral mandate and open politics and at the same time refusing to give ground on policy. | |
| There were also signs of grassroots opposition to Corbyn when the longstanding LabourFirst group, which is on the right of the party, was forced to move a chaotic fringe meeting on to the street due to the large numbers attending. | |
| The former shadow cabinet members Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper, Ivan Lewis and Liam Byrne addressed the meeting, as well as the deputy leader, Tom Watson, who called for unity. | |
| Making her first political appearance since returning from maternity leave, Reeves said “we will be back” and should go on the doorstep to say the leadership does not represent the party. Richard Angell, the Progress director, got the biggest cheer of the meeting by saying: “We need to rally against the Trots”. | |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, Falconer said he did not agree with Lord Mandelson, the former business secretary, who urged modernisers not to move against Corbyn until the national party has realised he is unelectable. Many moderates probably agree with Mandelson, but would prefer not to be as explicit as he was in a strategy paper leaked to the Guardian. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, Falconer said he did not agree with Lord Mandelson, the former business secretary, who urged modernisers not to move against Corbyn until the national party has realised he is unelectable. Many moderates probably agree with Mandelson, but would prefer not to be as explicit as he was in a strategy paper leaked to the Guardian. |
| The former leadership contender Chuka Umunna, who ruled out serving in the shadow cabinet because of differences with Corbyn over issues including Trident, said the party would have to fix its position on such key policies. | The former leadership contender Chuka Umunna, who ruled out serving in the shadow cabinet because of differences with Corbyn over issues including Trident, said the party would have to fix its position on such key policies. |
| “It’s not plausible for us as an opposition not to have a position on the defence of the realm,” he told a fringe meeting on Sunday. “I think at the moment, we are fresh out of a leadership election, we are not long from a general election where we went down to one of our worst defeats. | “It’s not plausible for us as an opposition not to have a position on the defence of the realm,” he told a fringe meeting on Sunday. “I think at the moment, we are fresh out of a leadership election, we are not long from a general election where we went down to one of our worst defeats. |
| Related: Mandelson: it’s too early to force Jeremy Corbyn out | |
| “I’m all for debate but, ultimately, we are going to have to have settled positions on things if people are to know what it is they are voting for. If people don’t know what the position of the Labour party is then we are not going to look like a party of government.” | “I’m all for debate but, ultimately, we are going to have to have settled positions on things if people are to know what it is they are voting for. If people don’t know what the position of the Labour party is then we are not going to look like a party of government.” |
| Corbyn has said he wants to change the way the party makes policy, hinting that party conference – described by him as the “people’s parliament”, will have greater powers. He has also insisted he is relaxed about divisions being aired in the party. | Corbyn has said he wants to change the way the party makes policy, hinting that party conference – described by him as the “people’s parliament”, will have greater powers. He has also insisted he is relaxed about divisions being aired in the party. |
| Angela Eagle, the new business secretary and chair of the national policy forum, announced on Saturday that there would be a review of the way the party makes policy. She did not suggest the elected National Policy Forum, often seen as a rival to conference, would be wound up, but instead enhanced to give members greater say. | Angela Eagle, the new business secretary and chair of the national policy forum, announced on Saturday that there would be a review of the way the party makes policy. She did not suggest the elected National Policy Forum, often seen as a rival to conference, would be wound up, but instead enhanced to give members greater say. |
| Falconer acknowledged the anger in the party expressed in the Corbyn vote. “I do think very strongly that the doors are open to a proper policy debate and that it is a good thing that the membership are dislocated from leaders of the party. The public generally are fed up with zipped-up politicians speaking to an agreed script.” | |
| He repeatedly said the new leadership should put their views to the test, saying the criteria by which policies should be judged was practicality and whether it is attractive to the electorate. | |
| But he stressed: “If the party reaches a position I fundamentally disagree with then that makes my position difficult.” On some issues he said it would be possible for the party to hold different views on the front bench but on the fundamentals of the economy and on foreign policy, he said there had to be an agreed position. | |
| Chris Leslie, the former shadow chancellor, also warned his successor, John McDonnell, to set out his thinking more clearly and tone down some of his rhetoric. | Chris Leslie, the former shadow chancellor, also warned his successor, John McDonnell, to set out his thinking more clearly and tone down some of his rhetoric. |
| He told the BBC’s Sunday Politics he did not understand whether McDonnell supported the charter for fiscal responsibility set out by George Osborne. “John McDonnell called it barmy last week, but apparently he’s indicating he’s going to vote for it on the 14 October. | He told the BBC’s Sunday Politics he did not understand whether McDonnell supported the charter for fiscal responsibility set out by George Osborne. “John McDonnell called it barmy last week, but apparently he’s indicating he’s going to vote for it on the 14 October. |
| He said McDonnell needed to “clear up” his position on voting for the government’s proposed surplus law, saying it did not allow borrowing for investment as McDonnell has proposed. “What we need to now know is quite how those figures add up,” he said. | He said McDonnell needed to “clear up” his position on voting for the government’s proposed surplus law, saying it did not allow borrowing for investment as McDonnell has proposed. “What we need to now know is quite how those figures add up,” he said. |
| Asked if McDonnell would make a good chancellor, Leslie said it was for the public to decide. “The election is now four and a half years away. Let’s see if they can convince the general public to get elected. We all want of course to get that Labour government but ultimately we are a long, long way away from that.” |