Brexit news: Labour votes against backing Remain in new referendum, as Boris Johnson denies misusing public funds

The latest developments as they happened

Questions over Boris Johnson’s relationship with ex-model ‘awarded £126,000 of public funds’

Labour‘s annual conference has rejected a motion calling for the party to oppose Brexit in all circumstances.

Delegates at the gathering in Brighton voted down a plan that would have seen the party support Remain in any future referendum. They instead backed a proposal from the party leadership that will see Labour delay deciding its position until after a general election.

The decision – which was based on a show of hands – proved highly controversial, with some observers suggesting it was a “stitch up”.

However others were pleased with the approval of the leader’s stance on Brexit, and around half of the delegates began chanting “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn”.

Elsewhere, Boris Johnson is facing a probe into allegations he failed to declare potential conflicts of interest as London mayor over the allocation of public money to an American businesswoman.

Officials at City Hall and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport are looking into Mr Johnson’s ties with Jennifer Arcuri, with MPs calling for the PM to quit if claims are substantiated.

Mr Johnson initially refused to answer questions about the allegations before eventually insisting that “everything was done with complete propriety”.

The prime minister went on to meet European Council president Donald Tusk at the UN General Assembly in New York. Mr Tusk later tweeted that there had been “no breakthrough”.

It came as Mr Johnson awaited Tuesday’s ruling by the Supreme Court on whether his decision to shut down parliament was unlawful or not.

See below for our coverage of events as they happened

Key Points

• PM faces investigation over allegations of misuse of public funds
• ...as Johnson insists that 'everything was done in the proper way' 
• Labour conference rejects bid to back Remain in future referendum 
• Labour vows to bring in 32-hour working week if elected
• Supreme Court to rule on prorogation on Tuesday morning

[23 September 2019 08:11 · Adam Forrest]

Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond, as Labour continues its fractious conference in Brighton and Boris Johnson heads off to the UN General Assembly in New York.

[23 September 2019 08:13 · Adam Forrest]

Boris Johnson has refused to answer questions about his relationship with a young businesswoman who was granted access to his overseas trade trips when he was London mayor.

When asked six times about the explosive allegations by reporters on his plane to New York for the UN meeting, the prime minister gave the same reply: “I’m here to talk about what we are doing at the UN.”

Our political editor has all the details.

[23 September 2019 08:18 · Adam Forrest]

Boris Johnson said quite a lot on his flight to New York. The prime minister has blamed Iran for the attacks, and declined to rule out military intervention. He said he would tell Donald Trump face-to-face that the NHS cannot be on the table for a post-Brexit trade deal.

He also played down the chances of a “New York breakthrough” on Brexit during discussions with key EU leaders at the United Nations.

[23 September 2019 08:20 · Adam Forrest]

According to the latest YouGov survey, 54 per cent of people who voted Labour in 2017 want Jeremy Corbyn to resign, while only 29 per cent want him to stay in the post.

Our correspondent Benjamin Kentish has more.

[23 September 2019 08:51 · Adam Forrest]

The revelation that Jennifer Arcuri was given £126,000 in public money and was treated to privileged access to three foreign trade missions led by then Mayor of London Boris Johnson has caused quite a stir.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is investigating the allocation of public money to the American model turned technology entrepreneur.

Shadow minister for the Cabinet Office Jon Trickett has called for the PM to fully explain the matter. “Boris Johnson must now give a full account of his actions in response to these grave and most serious allegations of the misuse of public money in his former role as mayor of London,” the Labour MP said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested Johnson should face questions about “an alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds” and criticised BBC broadcaster Andrew Marr for failing to ask a government minister about it.

Labour MP Jess Phillips said: “There must be a proper inquiry in to possibility that Johnson gave preferential treatment to his mates … using taxpayers money. If he did then he should resign, it is after all corruption.”

No 10 has refused to answer questions about the allegations, Mr Johnson refused six times to a explain his ties to Arcuri.

[23 September 2019 09:11 · Adam Forrest]

A huge day ahead for Labour when it comes to the party’s Brexit policy.

Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to delay a decision on how Labour would campaign during a second referendum was adopted by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

But pro-EU members have won a battle to hold a vote on their motion insisting Labour should back a clear Remain position immediately. 

It will be put to the conference alongside a competing vote on a motion backing the official “neutral” stance until a general election is out of the way and a Labour conference can negotiate a credible Brexit deal.

[23 September 2019 09:20 · Adam Forrest]

Ahead of crunch votes on Brexit policy at Labour’s conference, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said there was no deal that could be better than staying in the EU. He also claimed there is a “logical sequence” to Labour’s Brexit position.

“I can’t see we could get a better deal than Remain and I would campaign for Remain,” he said.

“But others think that they could get a deal that would be acceptable to the British people and that's democracy - the key issue here is ‘let the people decide’.”

The official position remains that a Labour government would seek to strike a new deal with Brussels and then put it to a public vote. Leader Jeremy Corbyn does not want to say how the party would campaign in a referendum until a special conference after the expected general election.

John McDonnell has denied that Labour is at war over Brexit, with members at conference today set to decide whether it should become a Remain-backing party.

“I smiled when you used the language earlier of civil war and revolt but there isn’t any war in the Labour Party. It’s about honest, democratic debate,” McDonnell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“People have high emotions on this because they feel it’s important. But that's not people respecting each other’s views as well and there will be a bit of banter, of course there will.”

McDonnell said he was open to being persuaded that a Labour-negotiated Brexit deal was best for the country. “It’s very difficult for people to determine their position in advance of knowing the detail of that deal, but my view, actually I think, because I campaigned for Remain, I can’t see at the moment a better deal being achieved. And that’s my view.

“That’s why I’m saying I’m happy to go along with this logical sequence. And I’m happy for others to challenge me and say, ‘actually, no, this is a better deal’ – I’d like that debate.”

[23 September 2019 09:44 · Adam Forrest]

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has been asked about the allegations Boris Johnson failed to declare potential conflicts of interest.

The Sunday Times reported that Jennifer Arcuri was given £126,000 in public money and was treated to privileged access to three foreign trade missions.

“I’m not quite where [alleged] abuse of public funds comes about, trade missions take place all the time,” Shapps told the Today programme.

Asked why the government didn’t attempt to bail out Thomas Cook, Shapps said “governments aren’t in the business of running travel companies”.

[23 September 2019 09:57 · Adam Forrest]

Lizzy Buchan has more on the showdown votes at today’s Labour conference, as John McDonnell dismisses party infighting over Brexit policy as a “bit of banter”.

[23 September 2019 10:00 · Adam Forrest]

Steve Martin and Martin Short have said they may include some gags about the prime minister jokes when they bring their latest live show to the UK.

Martin, 74, said: “Boris Johnson might get a couple of jokes, I mean come on. The hair-do alone."

Short, 69, added: “His hair looks more like a wind advisory than anything else.”

The double act will not delve into Brexit on their new tour because, as Martin explained: “I don’t quite understand it. I learned early on that you cannot make jokes about something you can’t quite follow.”