This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/sep/23/brexit-latest-news-labour-conference-jeremy-corbyn-warned-it-would-look-awful-if-he-only-wins-key-labour-brexit-conference-vote-with-union-support-live-news

The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 13 Version 14
Brexit: Labour delegates debate rival motions for and against Corbyn's strategy – live news Brexit: Labour delegates debate rival motions for and against Corbyn's strategy – live news
(32 minutes later)
Hannah Patterson, from Leeds North West CLP, says the party needs a clear stance. It is not good enough to wait until after the election before deciding to back remain, she says. She says Scottish Labour, Welsh Labour and Labour in Northern Ireland all want the party to commit for remain. Vote for composite 13, she says.
You can’t always judge how a vote will go by how many people are speaking on each side, but the leadership camp are doing a better job at getting people to speak up for their side than the remain camp.
ITV’s Robert Peston thinks Jeremy Corbyn is on course to win.
If the mood in the conference hall is anything to go by, @jeremycorbyn will win these three votes and the Remain motion will be rejected. It is all about the party showing loyalty to Corbyn
Noah Tucker from Tottenham CLP says his local party wants people to back Jeremy Corbyn. He has been right on tactics, he says. He says composite 13 would put Labour in a “nightmare” position. It would not be able to get anything other than a very, very bad deal, if the EU knows that Labour will campaign against it. Yet the public could vote for it in the referendum.
He says Labour should not let Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson speak for the 52%. Labour needs to be the people who speak for the 99%.
Gary Ostrolenk from Camberwell and Peckham CLP says a Labour government will face an onslaught from its enemies. It will need the support of the entire working class. If it alienates the 50% of that class who voted leave, they will turn their backs on Labour. Labour will not succeed. He urges members to vote against composite 13.
HuffPost’s Paul Waugh has been given a different steer on when we might get the results of votes from the one picked up by Steven Swinford. (See 4.19am.)
Latest on timing of Brexit vote: if there's one card vote, result 7pm-ish, if two card votes - all results 8pmish, if three card votes [which may be likely] then all results 9pmish.Card votes only called where show of hands looks close.
Michelle Ryan, from East Worthing and Shoreham CLP, says composite 13 would put the party in the position of having to campaign against a deal it negotiated. That position has been widely mocked, she says.
She says Jeremy Corbyn has also made it clear that he would prefer to be neutral.
The Telegraph’s Steven Swinford says, if there is a card vote, we will not get the result until tomorrow.
We'll have to wait a while for the result of this evening's votes on Brexit motions at Labour Party conference if they are closeJust been confirmed that if it goes to a card vote we won't know the result until tomorrow morning...
Jean Roberts, from Brent Central CLP, says she voted leave. The EU is not a model democracy. It is run in the interests of corporations, she suggests.
She says the party should unite behind the leadership and reject composite 13.
These are from Sunder Katwala, a former general secretary of the Fabian Society.
It seems quite possible that Labour conference will adopt at least two clashing Brexit policies today.A curious thing about this debate: pro-leadership motion that Remainers would now see as a defeat gives them the thing they struggled to prise from the leadership for 3 years.
The conference reactions to these speeches suggest that these two competing intuitions both have considerable appeal to Labour members.- Labour should stand for remain- Labour should seek to unite, appealing to both remain & leave voters can support it
Never sure how far the floor debate affects Labour conference voting, but this debate feels like it is going better for the leadership than was expected. Arguments about wanting to speak for "the 99% not the 48% or the 52%" are popular, beyond calls to back the leader.
Juan Baeza, from Brighton Pavilion CLP, says members should unite behind the leader and reject composite 13.
Rosie Rivers, a 17-year-old activist from Wealden CLP, told the conference she had a message for them that would make her unpopular. She was against the idea of holding a second referendum at all, she said.
I know hundreds of people aged 16 to 25 and younger in my area who think it will create a divide that will be worse for us to grow up in.
Kate Hudson from CWU says she is speaking in support of the NEC statement, “our leader’s position”.Kate Hudson from CWU says she is speaking in support of the NEC statement, “our leader’s position”.
When people are trapped in poverty and reliant on food banks, Brexit is drowning out the debates the party should be having, she says.When people are trapped in poverty and reliant on food banks, Brexit is drowning out the debates the party should be having, she says.
She says, when Labour debate, “there are no enemies in this room”. Labour’s enemies are in Downing Street, she says. She says, when Labour debates, “there are no enemies in this room”. Labour’s enemies are in Downing Street, she says.
Sophie Wilson, a councillor from Sheffield Hallam CLP, says what her constituents need is a socialist government led by Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn’s policy could not be more simple, she says. She says the party cannot ignore the votes of those who voted leave. She says it makes sense to leave the decision to a special conference after the election. She urges delegates to support composite 14.Sophie Wilson, a councillor from Sheffield Hallam CLP, says what her constituents need is a socialist government led by Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn’s policy could not be more simple, she says. She says the party cannot ignore the votes of those who voted leave. She says it makes sense to leave the decision to a special conference after the election. She urges delegates to support composite 14.
Duncan Enright says he is the first Labour mayor of Witney (David Cameron’s constituency when he was an MP) for a generation. He urges the conference to back composite 13. Labour’s position should be “remain, revoke, reform”, he says.Duncan Enright says he is the first Labour mayor of Witney (David Cameron’s constituency when he was an MP) for a generation. He urges the conference to back composite 13. Labour’s position should be “remain, revoke, reform”, he says.
Gordon McKay from Unison says it is almost 100 years since the Daily Mail owner said hate was the way to sell newspapers. One hundred years on, not much has changed. He says Unison will be voting for composite 13. But he says Unison cannot be accused of not backing Jeremy Corbyn. It supported him as leader in 2015, and again a year later.Gordon McKay from Unison says it is almost 100 years since the Daily Mail owner said hate was the way to sell newspapers. One hundred years on, not much has changed. He says Unison will be voting for composite 13. But he says Unison cannot be accused of not backing Jeremy Corbyn. It supported him as leader in 2015, and again a year later.
But Unison is committed to remain, he says.But Unison is committed to remain, he says.
He says Boris Johnson and the other Brexiters want to privatise services. Does anyone think anything will get better under Brexit? Labour has to come to a view, support a second referendum and campaign for remain.He says Boris Johnson and the other Brexiters want to privatise services. Does anyone think anything will get better under Brexit? Labour has to come to a view, support a second referendum and campaign for remain.
Sophie Robbins from Twickenham CLP says trans people like herself have got more to fear than most from a no-deal Brexit. Hate crime has gone up since the Brexit vote, she says.Sophie Robbins from Twickenham CLP says trans people like herself have got more to fear than most from a no-deal Brexit. Hate crime has gone up since the Brexit vote, she says.
From the BBC’s Norman Smith
Understand USDAW will back all three Brexit motions. NEC statement, Remain motion and "middle ground" motion #lab19
Two of the Brexit motions - the NEC statement and composite 13 - are contradictory.
Catherine Pinder from the GMB says her union supports the Labour leadership’s call for a second referendum. She urges delegates to support the NEC statement. See 10.10am.
Richard Corbett MEP is speaking now.
He says people should appreciate the extent to which Labour is united. It is united in opposing Boris Johnson’s Brexit, and united in wanting a second referendum, and united in saying it would campaign for remain against Johnson’s deal or no deal.
The only difference is over what it would do if a Labour deal were on the table too.
He says Labour has tried ambiguity. It tried it in the European election. But it haemorrhaged votes to the Greens and the Lib Dems, he says. He says it should commit to remain.
After speeches for another foreign policy composite, the chair, Wendy Nichols, is now opening the debate up to speeches from the floor. She says she has about two and a half hours for the debate.
There was loud cheering in the hall for the two speakers backing composite 13, but also for the two who were backing composite 14. It is not obvious that one side has more support than the other.
Sion Rickard, from Aberconwy CLP, is seconding composite 14 now.
He says he voted remain. But he says the party has to unite. He says the papers would love it if the party did not support Jeremy Corbyn.
He says delegates need to trust Corbyn and his team on this issue.
Alan Gibbons, from Liverpool Walton CLP, is moving composite 14 now. This is the pro-leadership one. See 10.10am.
He says, after this debate, Labour members will have to campaign together.
He says he voted remain.
The Tories accuse Labour of holding up Brexit. But who has been in charge? The Tories.
He says Labour will negotiate a better deal and give the public a choice. He says he personally will vote remain, but he will decide at the time.
People need a Labour government, he says. Labour must be able to talk not just to the 52% or the 48% but to the 99%.
He says when he is on picket lines, or boycotting the Sun, or feeding the homeless, or kicking fascists out of Liverpool – they need Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. So he urges delegates to support composite 14 and reject composite 13.
Fiona O’Farrell, from the Labour party Irish society, is seconding composite 13. She says Labour should support the motion on behalf of the people of Ireland, who would suffer if the open border gets undermined.
At the conference delegates are now debating Brexit.
Simon Hannah, from Tooting CLP, is moving composite 13. (See 10.10am.)
He says he joined Labour when Jeremy Corbyn became leader. He is a Momentum member. He is no fan of the EU, he says. He says when Corbyn gave the EU seven out of 10, he thought Corbyn was being generous.
But Hannah says it is clear nothing good will come from Brexit.
The Labour movement is opposed to Brexit, he says.
He says he is worried about the Lib Dems at the elections.
Comrades, we cannot win an election by not taking sides.
He says postponing a decision about who to campaign in an election will just generate confusion.
He is loudly applauded.
Alongside John McDonnell’s speech, Labour has published two documents today fleshing out some of the ideas he was talking about.
Here is a 28-page report (pdf) on universal basic services. McDonnell said Labour would expand the range of public services available for free. (See 12.25pm.)
And here is a 12-page briefing (pdf) on the plan for a national care service.