Labour infighting over Brexit and Corbyn’s future overshadows crucial pre-election conference

Deputy leader warns a ‘battle for the future of the party’ is under way

(Reuters)

Labour’s crucial pre-election conference has been riven by disunity, with divisions over Brexit boiling over amid faction fighting over the future of the leadership.

With an election expected within weeks of the Brighton gathering, Labour had hoped to focus attention on vote-winning policies such as the abolition of prescription charges, reversing cuts to legal aid and capping the cost of school uniforms.

But a shadow was cast over the annual get-together thanks to an abortive attempt to oust Corbyn critic Tom Watson as deputy leader and after the announcement that the author of Labour’s 2017 manifesto, Andrew Fisher, is quitting as Corbyn’s head of policy.

In a blistering attack on the left-wing group around Corbyn, Mr Watson warned there was “a battle for the future of the Labour Party” under way and urged delegates to “resist the destructive, corrosive impulse of factionalism”.

And there was furious wrangling over Brexit policy, with the leadership accused of a “stitch-up” after members of the ruling National Executive Committee were given just 90 minutes to approve by email a statement backing Mr Corbyn’s policy.

Senior Labour figures issued open appeals for the party to commit itself to campaign for Remain in any second EU referendum – something Mr Corbyn has repeatedly refused to countenance.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry told a rally on the conference fringe: “Whatever the proposed terms of the departure are, and whichever government proposes them, we must demand a second referendum, we must demand that the public has a Final Say and we must not just campaign to Remain but we must lead the campaign to Remain.”

And London mayor Sadiq Khan called for an end to Mr Corbyn’s “fudge”, saying: “We are at a vital crossroads – neutrality is not an option. The party should be unequivocally pro-Remain.”

But Corbyn-backing Unite union boss Len McCluskey hit back.

“We must go into an election united and when we have a policy on Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn makes it clear that that is the policy, then that is what leading members of the shadow cabinet should argue for,” he told Sky News.

“If they find that they can’t argue for it because they feel strongly, well of course they have that right but they should step aside from the shadow cabinet… and they can argue whatever they want. My appeal to them, to Emily and to anybody else, is support your leader.”

The NEC statement on Brexit – eventually approved by 16 votes to 10 – commits Labour to staging a second referendum within six months of winning power, after negotiating a new withdrawal agreement with Brussels that would keep the UK in the customs union and protect workplace consumer rights and environmental protections.

But it states that the crucial decision on whether Labour should campaign for Leave or Remain in any public vote would be delayed until a special one-day conference after the general election.

The NEC position is expected to win delegates’ support in votes on the conference floor on Monday, over a rival motion tabled by more than 80 constituency parties which would commit Labour to campaign “energetically” to stay in the EU.

Michael Chessum of the pro-EU Another Europe is Possible group, which is backing the rival motion, denounced efforts to turn the votes into a “loyalty test”.

“We want a radical Labour government and Corbyn in No 10,” he said. “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.”

Mr Corbyn said he would “go along with whatever decision the party comes to”.

Corbyn walks past an outspoken Remainer in Brighton on Monday (AFP/Getty)

But he repeatedly refused to say which side Labour should support, and even suggested the party’s MPs could vote for a deal struck by Boris Johnson with Brussels.

“It absolutely depends what the deal is,” he told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show. “I’ve no idea what deal he wants to bring back.”

He added: “Please remember why people voted Leave, why people voted Remain, but also remember there is more that unites all of those people – over austerity, over investment, over education, over housing, over health, over a green industrial revolution – than there is that divides them.”

One shadow cabinet minister told The Independent: “It is frustrating. We could be within weeks of an election and we want to use this conference to parade some of our great policies, and all everyone is talking about is Brexit and disunity.”

Meanwhile, the party leadership lashed out at the media, with Mr Corbyn himself releasing a video in which he accused the BBC of being part of an establishment which was “closing ranks” with the government.

Mr Fisher’s bombshell departure came after he sent a memo to close colleagues complaining of a “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency” among the leader’s team and accusing them of a “blizzard of lies and excuses”.

Mr Corbyn said the note was prompted by Mr Fisher being “extremely distressed” over a particular discussion within the leader’s office and insisted his decision to quit was driven by a desire to spend more time with his family.