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| Brexit: Corbyn told using union vote to defeat call for pro-remain stance would look 'awful' - live news | Brexit: Corbyn told using union vote to defeat call for pro-remain stance would look 'awful' - live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Here is the more detailed conference agenda for the day. | |
| 10am: Conference opens, with a report from Harry Donaldson, chair of the conference arrangements committee | |
| 10.10am: Richard Leonard, the Scottish Labour leader, speaks. | |
| 10.20am: Work, pensions and equality debate. | |
| 11.10am: Economy debate starts. Five composite motions are being debated, covering industrial strategy, insourcing, working hours, employment rights and the Royal Mail. And John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, is winding up. | |
| 12.25pm: International debate, including the national executive committee statement on Brexit. | |
| 12.35pm: Voting on the morning’s business. | |
| 2.15pm: The international debate continues. Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, is due open the debate, and Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, is due to close it. As well as the two Brexit composites, composite motions on Yemen, an ethical foreign policy and human rights for the Uyghurs are also being debated. | |
| 5.20pm: Voting on the afternoon’s business. If there card votes, as is almost certain for the Brexit motions, counting the card votes could take an hour or so. | |
| John McDonnell was giving interviews this morning to promote Labour’s key overnight announcement, a £6bn a year pledge to introduce free personal care. The Labour announcement is here, and my colleague Patrick Butler’s story about it is here. | |
| Labour to announce it would reverse austerity cuts to adult social care | |
| On the Today programme this morning Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the tax and spending thinktank, said that Labour’s personal care offer was “less generous” than it sounded. He explained: | |
| It’s actually rather less generous than it appears. That’s to achieve the same level of social care that we get at the moment, just for more people. So it’s not returning the system to where it was in 2010 which would cost an additional £6bn because it’s been restricted so much. You really do have to have quite severe needs to get that social care. | |
| And secondly it’s not going to save many people from the catastrophic cost that you can face if you go into residential care because it’s not going to cover the cost of the accommodation and so on that you get there. So, whilst its expensive, it is nevertheless a relatively limited offer. | |
| Asked about the overall credibility of Labour’s spending plans, Johnson sounded sceptical. He said that at the last election Labour was proposing spending increases worth around £70bn a year, and tax increases worth around £50bn a year. But Johnson said he thought Labour would only raise about £30bn to £40bn from its tax plans. And he said, in practice, Labour might have ended up spending more. He said the current Tory government is increasing health spending by more than Labour proposed, and that in reality a Labour government would have been spending more than it planned on health too. He went on: | |
| We are looking at such a big set of changes in terms of what they were saying a couple of years ago it is really not so much a question of does it all add up fiscally, it’s a question of is it actually deliverable, either in terms of the level of tax increases or deliverable in terms of particularly the very large levels of investment spending they are suggesting. | |
| Labour will build a national network of charging points for electric vehicles at a cost of £3.6bn to kickstart its planned “green industrial revolution” if elected, the party has announced this morning. My colleagues Fiona Harvey and Matthew Taylor have the full story here. | Labour will build a national network of charging points for electric vehicles at a cost of £3.6bn to kickstart its planned “green industrial revolution” if elected, the party has announced this morning. My colleagues Fiona Harvey and Matthew Taylor have the full story here. |
| Labour to commit to big increase in charging points for electric cars | Labour to commit to big increase in charging points for electric cars |
| And here is Labour’s news release about the announcement. | And here is Labour’s news release about the announcement. |
| The GMB union will not be supporting the pro-remain composite in the debate this afternoon, my colleague Heather Stewart reports. | The GMB union will not be supporting the pro-remain composite in the debate this afternoon, my colleague Heather Stewart reports. |
| Tim Roache is the GMB’s general secretary. | Tim Roache is the GMB’s general secretary. |
| GMB’s @Tim_Roache makes clear they won’t be supporting the remainy composite today: “what we’re saying is, we negotiate a deal, then we assess whether it’s better than what we already have.” Says that’s not the same as being neutral. | GMB’s @Tim_Roache makes clear they won’t be supporting the remainy composite today: “what we’re saying is, we negotiate a deal, then we assess whether it’s better than what we already have.” Says that’s not the same as being neutral. |
| McDonnell says it would not be responsible for Labour to back a no-deal Brexit. | McDonnell says it would not be responsible for Labour to back a no-deal Brexit. |
| Q: The NEC wanted to hold a meeting on this yesterday, but it did not go ahead. | Q: The NEC wanted to hold a meeting on this yesterday, but it did not go ahead. |
| McDonnell says he is not on the NEC. He says he has been told the first meeting over-ran, which is why a second one did not go ahead. | McDonnell says he is not on the NEC. He says he has been told the first meeting over-ran, which is why a second one did not go ahead. |
| Q: I’ve been told Jon Lansman consulted the leader’s office before he pushed for the deputy leader’s post to be removed. | Q: I’ve been told Jon Lansman consulted the leader’s office before he pushed for the deputy leader’s post to be removed. |
| McDonnell says Jeremy Corbyn has denied knowing about the Lansman motion. | McDonnell says Jeremy Corbyn has denied knowing about the Lansman motion. |
| He says he supports the idea of having two deputy leaders. | He says he supports the idea of having two deputy leaders. |
| Q: Andrew Fisher’s resignation shows all is not well with the party. | Q: Andrew Fisher’s resignation shows all is not well with the party. |
| McDonnell says everyone has a bad day at the office. He says he hopes that Fisher will stay one. | McDonnell says everyone has a bad day at the office. He says he hopes that Fisher will stay one. |
| Q: But his criticisms were strong. | Q: But his criticisms were strong. |
| McDonnell says everyone gets angry with their work colleagues from time to time. People lose their tempers. He is sure that this happens at the BBC too, he says. | McDonnell says everyone gets angry with their work colleagues from time to time. People lose their tempers. He is sure that this happens at the BBC too, he says. |
| Not since John Humphrys has left, Martha Kearney, the Today presenter, jokes. | Not since John Humphrys has left, Martha Kearney, the Today presenter, jokes. |
| And that’s it. | And that’s it. |
| McDonnell explains the leadership position again. | McDonnell explains the leadership position again. |
| Labour would negotiate a new Brexit deal, then have a special conference where it would decide its position in that referendum. | Labour would negotiate a new Brexit deal, then have a special conference where it would decide its position in that referendum. |
| He says it is hard for people to decide their view when they don’t know what the deal will say. | He says it is hard for people to decide their view when they don’t know what the deal will say. |
| Q: But you have. You say you will back remain. | Q: But you have. You say you will back remain. |
| McDonnell accepts the point, but say people will want to see what the deal says. | McDonnell accepts the point, but say people will want to see what the deal says. |
| John McDonnell is on Today now talking about Brexit. | John McDonnell is on Today now talking about Brexit. |
| He says he would vote remain in a future referendum. | He says he would vote remain in a future referendum. |
| Q: If you think that, why shouldn’t the party back remain? | Q: If you think that, why shouldn’t the party back remain? |
| McDonnell says people should exercise their own judgement. | McDonnell says people should exercise their own judgement. |
| Q: But if you, the shadow foreign secretary, the shadow Brexit secretary and most members want the party to back remain, can you still sit on the fence as a party? | Q: But if you, the shadow foreign secretary, the shadow Brexit secretary and most members want the party to back remain, can you still sit on the fence as a party? |
| McDonnell says this is a democratic proposal. | McDonnell says this is a democratic proposal. |
| People have different views, he says. | People have different views, he says. |
| He rejects claims that the party is in the midst of a civil war. | He rejects claims that the party is in the midst of a civil war. |
| Do not mistake democracy for division. It isn’t. | Do not mistake democracy for division. It isn’t. |
| One of the many surprising features about Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader in 2015 was that he managed to get chosen by a party that is overwhelming in favour of EU membership despite, for most of his career, being in favour of the UK being out. Corbyn accepted remain as the party’s position, members adored him for other reasons, and mostly this contradiction has been glossed over. At the last two party conferences Labour used classic procedural ploys to defuse a split on this issue; in 2017 members decided to shelve a proposed debate on Brexit to avoid the need for a row, and last year the party adopted a compromise “all options on the table” composite on a second referendum that satisfied remainers while not actually committing the party to anything. | One of the many surprising features about Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader in 2015 was that he managed to get chosen by a party that is overwhelming in favour of EU membership despite, for most of his career, being in favour of the UK being out. Corbyn accepted remain as the party’s position, members adored him for other reasons, and mostly this contradiction has been glossed over. At the last two party conferences Labour used classic procedural ploys to defuse a split on this issue; in 2017 members decided to shelve a proposed debate on Brexit to avoid the need for a row, and last year the party adopted a compromise “all options on the table” composite on a second referendum that satisfied remainers while not actually committing the party to anything. |
| But this year it looks as though a split can be avoided not longer. As we explain in our overnight story, delegates will be asked to choose between two rival Brexit motions - one setting out Jeremy Corbyn’s preference, which is for the party to postpone deciding whether it will campaign for remain in a second referendum until after the election, and another saying the party should commit to remain now. As our story explains: | But this year it looks as though a split can be avoided not longer. As we explain in our overnight story, delegates will be asked to choose between two rival Brexit motions - one setting out Jeremy Corbyn’s preference, which is for the party to postpone deciding whether it will campaign for remain in a second referendum until after the election, and another saying the party should commit to remain now. As our story explains: |
| [Corbyn’s] proposal to put off the decision until after an election was endorsed by the national executive committee, by 16 votes to 10, after members were asked to send their agreement by email and without a meeting. | [Corbyn’s] proposal to put off the decision until after an election was endorsed by the national executive committee, by 16 votes to 10, after members were asked to send their agreement by email and without a meeting. |
| “The NEC believes it is right that the party shall only decide how to campaign in such a referendum – through a one-day special conference, following the election of a Labour government,” the statement said. | “The NEC believes it is right that the party shall only decide how to campaign in such a referendum – through a one-day special conference, following the election of a Labour government,” the statement said. |
| However, pro-EU activists fought during a lengthy meeting on Sunday night to ensure there would be a vote on the conference floor on Monday on whether Labour should immediately adopt an unequivocally remain position. | However, pro-EU activists fought during a lengthy meeting on Sunday night to ensure there would be a vote on the conference floor on Monday on whether Labour should immediately adopt an unequivocally remain position. |
| More than 50 local parties swung behind a pro-remain motion, while eight backed a more neutral motion closer to the leadership’s position. Both options will now be voted on by delegates, along with the official national executive position, leaving open the possibility that competing motions could pass and cause further confusion over the party’s Brexit policy. | More than 50 local parties swung behind a pro-remain motion, while eight backed a more neutral motion closer to the leadership’s position. Both options will now be voted on by delegates, along with the official national executive position, leaving open the possibility that competing motions could pass and cause further confusion over the party’s Brexit policy. |
| Corbyn on collision course with Labour members over Brexit | Corbyn on collision course with Labour members over Brexit |
| At Labour conference trade unions have almost half the votes, and constituency Labour party (CLP) delegates have the other 50%. (A handful of non-union affiliated organisations have the rest.) Members are largely in favour of the ‘back remain now’ approach, but the unions seem to be mostly behind the party leadership. | At Labour conference trade unions have almost half the votes, and constituency Labour party (CLP) delegates have the other 50%. (A handful of non-union affiliated organisations have the rest.) Members are largely in favour of the ‘back remain now’ approach, but the unions seem to be mostly behind the party leadership. |
| In a statement last night Michael Chessum, national organiser of Another Europe is Possible, which has been mobilising support for the ‘back remain now’ motion, said that it would “look awful” if Corbyn won today just as a result of the union bloc vote. He said: | In a statement last night Michael Chessum, national organiser of Another Europe is Possible, which has been mobilising support for the ‘back remain now’ motion, said that it would “look awful” if Corbyn won today just as a result of the union bloc vote. He said: |
| Ninety percent of motions to this conference are anti Brexit, reflecting a membership which is overwhelmingly pro remain. We are taking a remain position to conference flor, where we are expecting a close vote. Using union bloc votes to defeat the overwhelming majority of members may well not work, and would look awful. | Ninety percent of motions to this conference are anti Brexit, reflecting a membership which is overwhelmingly pro remain. We are taking a remain position to conference flor, where we are expecting a close vote. Using union bloc votes to defeat the overwhelming majority of members may well not work, and would look awful. |
| There will be an attempt to turn this into a loyalty test. But those proposing these motions are by and large people, like me, who have spent years fighting for the left inside Labour and backing Corbyn. We want a radical Labour government, and Corbyn in Number 10. The best way of getting there is with clarity on Brexit and a clear message to our members and voters that we are on their side. | There will be an attempt to turn this into a loyalty test. But those proposing these motions are by and large people, like me, who have spent years fighting for the left inside Labour and backing Corbyn. We want a radical Labour government, and Corbyn in Number 10. The best way of getting there is with clarity on Brexit and a clear message to our members and voters that we are on their side. |
| John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, is about to discuss this on Today. | John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, is about to discuss this on Today. |
| Here is the agenda for the day. | Here is the agenda for the day. |
| 9.45am: Conference opens. Delegates will debate economic issues. | 9.45am: Conference opens. Delegates will debate economic issues. |
| 12pm: John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, speaks. | 12pm: John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, speaks. |
| 2pm: Delegates start a debate covering foreign affairs and Brexit. | 2pm: Delegates start a debate covering foreign affairs and Brexit. |
| 2.15pm: Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, speaks. | 2.15pm: Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, speaks. |
| 5.10pm: Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, speaks at the end of the debate. At that point delegates will vote although, if there is a card vote, the result will not be announced immediately. | 5.10pm: Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, speaks at the end of the debate. At that point delegates will vote although, if there is a card vote, the result will not be announced immediately. |
| As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, although I will focusing almost exclusively on the Labour conference. I plan to publish a summary when I wrap up. | As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, although I will focusing almost exclusively on the Labour conference. I plan to publish a summary when I wrap up. |
| You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. | You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. |
| You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. | You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. |
| If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. |
| I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. | I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. |
| If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. | If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. |