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| Jeremy Corbyn Wins Brexit Showdown With His Labour Party | Jeremy Corbyn Wins Brexit Showdown With His Labour Party |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| BRIGHTON, England — Jeremy Corbyn, Britain’s left-wing opposition leader, on Monday survived a serious challenge to his noncommittal approach to Brexit, winning a critical vote despite deep divisions at what most analysts expect to be the Labour Party’s last conference before a general election. | BRIGHTON, England — Jeremy Corbyn, Britain’s left-wing opposition leader, on Monday survived a serious challenge to his noncommittal approach to Brexit, winning a critical vote despite deep divisions at what most analysts expect to be the Labour Party’s last conference before a general election. |
| Demands for Labour to campaign more openly against Brexit were ultimately defeated on Monday afternoon, amid noisy protests from party activists, and after two days of intrigue and infighting at the conference, including an abortive coup against the party’s centrist deputy leader, Tom Watson. | Demands for Labour to campaign more openly against Brexit were ultimately defeated on Monday afternoon, amid noisy protests from party activists, and after two days of intrigue and infighting at the conference, including an abortive coup against the party’s centrist deputy leader, Tom Watson. |
| After more than two hours of passionate debate on Monday, delegates finally drew back from inflicting defeat on Mr. Corbyn, a lifelong critic of the European Union who plans to face a general election with an ambiguous position intended to appeal to both those who want to stay in the bloc and to those who voted to leave it in a 2016 referendum. | After more than two hours of passionate debate on Monday, delegates finally drew back from inflicting defeat on Mr. Corbyn, a lifelong critic of the European Union who plans to face a general election with an ambiguous position intended to appeal to both those who want to stay in the bloc and to those who voted to leave it in a 2016 referendum. |
| Monday’s decision endorses a policy under which, if Labour wins an election, the party would negotiate a new Brexit deal and put it to a second referendum with the alternative being to remain in the European Union. But Mr. Corbyn will not commit himself to campaigning one way or the other. | Monday’s decision endorses a policy under which, if Labour wins an election, the party would negotiate a new Brexit deal and put it to a second referendum with the alternative being to remain in the European Union. But Mr. Corbyn will not commit himself to campaigning one way or the other. |
| The vote at the conference in Brighton, on England’s south coast, was a relief for Mr. Corbyn, whose leadership has been under pressure because of poor opinion poll ratings. But it could still be a Pyrrhic victory, because the ferocity of the debate has taken the shine off a gathering that was meant to showcase the party’s policy agenda, such as plans to reduce the working week, ahead of a general election that could come very soon. | The vote at the conference in Brighton, on England’s south coast, was a relief for Mr. Corbyn, whose leadership has been under pressure because of poor opinion poll ratings. But it could still be a Pyrrhic victory, because the ferocity of the debate has taken the shine off a gathering that was meant to showcase the party’s policy agenda, such as plans to reduce the working week, ahead of a general election that could come very soon. |
| During the debate on Monday, several party members appealed for Labour to campaign clearly for Britain to remain in the European Union, and some argued that failure to do so would cost the party the next general election. But others stuck with the leadership’s position, suggesting that loyalty to Mr. Corbyn outweighed the desire of many Labour members and supporters for clearer opposition to Brexit. | |
| The critical decision was taken by a show of hands; despite protests from around the hall, calls for a more formal recorded ballot were rejected. | The critical decision was taken by a show of hands; despite protests from around the hall, calls for a more formal recorded ballot were rejected. |
| The divisions have cast a cloud over a conference that had already been shadowed by internal acrimony. On Saturday, Mr. Watson said that he was the victim of an attempted “drive-by shooting” after he had learned by text message of an effort to abolish his job. Though Mr. Corbyn said he was not aware of the plot — and helped quash it the following day — the initiative came from Jon Lansman, a close ally of the Labour leader and the founder of Momentum, a pro-Corbyn pressure group. | The divisions have cast a cloud over a conference that had already been shadowed by internal acrimony. On Saturday, Mr. Watson said that he was the victim of an attempted “drive-by shooting” after he had learned by text message of an effort to abolish his job. Though Mr. Corbyn said he was not aware of the plot — and helped quash it the following day — the initiative came from Jon Lansman, a close ally of the Labour leader and the founder of Momentum, a pro-Corbyn pressure group. |
| Divisions between Mr. Watson and Mr. Corbyn are well known. In targeting Mr. Watson, Labour leftists might have been trying to remove him from the picture as a possible successor in case Mr. Corbyn is eventually replaced, perhaps after a general election defeat. | Divisions between Mr. Watson and Mr. Corbyn are well known. In targeting Mr. Watson, Labour leftists might have been trying to remove him from the picture as a possible successor in case Mr. Corbyn is eventually replaced, perhaps after a general election defeat. |
| But tensions at the top of Mr. Corbyn’s team were also exposed when it emerged that Andrew Fisher, the head of policy, planned to resign and, according to British news reports, had accused colleagues of a “blizzard of lies” and of a “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency.” | But tensions at the top of Mr. Corbyn’s team were also exposed when it emerged that Andrew Fisher, the head of policy, planned to resign and, according to British news reports, had accused colleagues of a “blizzard of lies” and of a “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency.” |
| At the conference, the most pressing issue was Brexit, a policy that has long divided Labour because, while most activists and Labour voters support remaining in the European Union, many of its lawmakers represent parts of the north and middle of the country where a majority opted to leave. | At the conference, the most pressing issue was Brexit, a policy that has long divided Labour because, while most activists and Labour voters support remaining in the European Union, many of its lawmakers represent parts of the north and middle of the country where a majority opted to leave. |
| In trying to please everyone, however, critics argue that Labour is in danger of doing the opposite. Those who have urged the party to be clearer in its support for remaining include allies of Mr. Corbyn such as the party’s finance spokesman, John McDonnell, and its spokeswoman for foreign affairs, Emily Thornberry. | In trying to please everyone, however, critics argue that Labour is in danger of doing the opposite. Those who have urged the party to be clearer in its support for remaining include allies of Mr. Corbyn such as the party’s finance spokesman, John McDonnell, and its spokeswoman for foreign affairs, Emily Thornberry. |
| In many respects, the debate reflects the growing polarization of an electorate that appears to be fleeing any possible center ground on Brexit and that is therefore demanding clear positions from party leaders. | In many respects, the debate reflects the growing polarization of an electorate that appears to be fleeing any possible center ground on Brexit and that is therefore demanding clear positions from party leaders. |
| “Brexit identity has become the new dividing line in British politics,” said Sara Hobolt, a professor at the London School of Economics. “This is what people care about, this is what drives a lot of opinion. They feel more strongly about their political identity on Brexit lines — whether they are Remainers or Leavers — than whether they are Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat.” | “Brexit identity has become the new dividing line in British politics,” said Sara Hobolt, a professor at the London School of Economics. “This is what people care about, this is what drives a lot of opinion. They feel more strongly about their political identity on Brexit lines — whether they are Remainers or Leavers — than whether they are Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat.” |
| The dangers for Labour of sitting on the fence were illustrated by elections to the European Parliament in May, when the party finished third with just 14.1 percent of the vote. | The dangers for Labour of sitting on the fence were illustrated by elections to the European Parliament in May, when the party finished third with just 14.1 percent of the vote. |
| Since then, and under the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, the ruling Conservatives have become full-throated cheerleaders for Brexit, promising to pursue it — “do or die,” as Mr. Johnson has said — even if that means the sort of disorderly rupture it once insisted it would avoid. | Since then, and under the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, the ruling Conservatives have become full-throated cheerleaders for Brexit, promising to pursue it — “do or die,” as Mr. Johnson has said — even if that means the sort of disorderly rupture it once insisted it would avoid. |
| The newly resurgent pro-European Liberal Democrats want to scrap Brexit completely by canceling the 2016 referendum vote. That has put Labour in an increasingly difficult fight with the Liberal Democrats to win the Remain vote. | The newly resurgent pro-European Liberal Democrats want to scrap Brexit completely by canceling the 2016 referendum vote. That has put Labour in an increasingly difficult fight with the Liberal Democrats to win the Remain vote. |
| Mr. Corbyn’s supporters point out that he has changed positions: He originally opposed a second referendum, which he is now supporting. But critics believe that his refusal to say how he would campaign or vote in any referendum is a liability for the party. | |
| Some activists have become exasperated at Mr. Corbyn’s policy gymnastics, saying that they would be almost impossible to explain to voters. | Some activists have become exasperated at Mr. Corbyn’s policy gymnastics, saying that they would be almost impossible to explain to voters. |
| During the 2017 general election, Mr. Corbyn performed better than most analysts predicted by campaigning against austerity rather than focusing on Brexit. But repeating that trick is likely to be harder next time, given the dominance of the issue. | During the 2017 general election, Mr. Corbyn performed better than most analysts predicted by campaigning against austerity rather than focusing on Brexit. But repeating that trick is likely to be harder next time, given the dominance of the issue. |
| In the European Parliament elections, Ms. Hobolt said, as far as Brexit was concerned, “We saw that the parties that had the clearest and most unambiguous positions did best.” | In the European Parliament elections, Ms. Hobolt said, as far as Brexit was concerned, “We saw that the parties that had the clearest and most unambiguous positions did best.” |
| Voters are already shifting their allegiance based on their views on Europe, she added, noting that one survey showed less than 10 percent of Labour voters believed that the vote for Brexit was the right decision. That is down from an estimate of about 20 percent at the time of the 2016 referendum. | Voters are already shifting their allegiance based on their views on Europe, she added, noting that one survey showed less than 10 percent of Labour voters believed that the vote for Brexit was the right decision. That is down from an estimate of about 20 percent at the time of the 2016 referendum. |
| “There has been some sorting,” she said. “What we are seeing with both main parties is that Remainers are leaving the Conservatives and Leavers are leaving Labour.” | “There has been some sorting,” she said. “What we are seeing with both main parties is that Remainers are leaving the Conservatives and Leavers are leaving Labour.” |