Sadiq Khan to address Labour conference despite Corbyn tensions
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Version 0 of 1. Sadiq Khan has been given an eleventh-hour chance to address the Labour conference after a row between party factions threatened to keep him off the agenda. The London Mayor could now make a major speech to party faithful at next week’s event as a key committee responsible for the timetable overruled the decision to keep him off the speakers list. Reforms to allow more time for members to speak at conference meant Mr Khan was initially left off the schedule, a move perceived by his allies as a snub by the Labour leadership angered by his previous criticism of Jeremy Corbyn. As revealed by The Independent, the influential Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) intervened to in favour of Mr Khan's appearance, as long as it is approved by party delegates on Sunday morning. Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) had previously decided to cut him from the agenda to reduce the number of set-piece speeches, despite appeals from the London Mayor’s supporters over his important role in the aftemath of London terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower Fire. A source close to Mr Khan said: "Sadiq was happy either way. It's great if he can give a speech to Labour members - he'd better start writing one. "But we don't want this to be a distraction from the big issues being addressed at conference." A source close to Mr Corbyn indicated that there would be little opposition from the leader to a speech by Mr Khan. "We're relaxed about it and are exploring the possibility of a rotating mayoral slot," the source said. "The issue was never about personalities but giving delegates more time to debate." The upcoming conference is being regarded as a major test of Mr Corbyn's power following the surprise election result, while his supporters have sought to consolidate power for the left through party reform. Plans to lower the threshold of support that leadership candidates need to get on the ballot from 15 per cent to 10 per cent are expected to be approved at conference, which could ease the way for a left-wing successor. |