Labour conference - as it happened: Brexit rows deepen as senior party figures make series of conflicting statements

Labour members have overwhelmingly backed a Brexit approach that leaves a second referendum on the table, following a day of splits among senior party figures.

Delegates backed a motion that said Labour "must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote" on the penultimate day of the party's annual conference.

It came after Sir Keir Starmer received a standing ovation from delegates when he vowed "nobody is ruling out Remain" from the ballot paper in a new Brexit vote.

The shadow Brexit secretary risked reigniting tensions at the top of the party with the promise, which came after John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, appeared to rule it out.

Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, also said Labour should seek to delay Brexit by extending article 50, if it won a snap general election. But Jeremy Corbyn later told journalists that Brexit would happen on March 29 next year.

See below for live updates

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2018-09-25T17:01:51.953Z

Main conference business is now over for the day. Thanks for following The Independent's liveblog.

 

We will be back tomorrow for the final day of Labour's annual conference.

2018-09-25T16:38:32.716Z

Delegates are now voting overwhelmingly in favour of the Brexit motion that was hammered out in a fraught six-hour meeting.

 

It keeps the option of a Final Say vote on table.

2018-09-25T16:36:55.913Z

She also announced Labour would "insist on time limited, judicial warrants for any undercover policing". We wrote up the announcement earlier.

2018-09-25T16:32:36.430Z

Ms Abbott attacks the "bogus numerical targets" on immigration, saying only Theresa May believes they work. 

 

She's referring to Ms May's pledge to reduce net migration to the "tens of thousands", which the Tories have never met.

 

The shadow home secretary says: "We will always uphold our legal and moral obligations to Commonwealth citizens.

 

"We will not use the three million EU citizens currently resident here as bargaining chips.

 

"We will uphold their rights and the rights of British citizens resident in Europe."

2018-09-25T16:23:39.326Z

Diane Abbott says the government is "in denial" about the impact of cuts to public services.

 

Addressing delegates at Labour conference, she said: "Tory austerity has damaged all our public services. All Tory cuts have consequences too.

 

"And their police cuts have consequences. You cannot keep people safe on the cheap."

 

The shadow home secretary says "privatisation and deregulation" led to the Grenfell Tower fire.

2018-09-25T16:03:27.000Z

NEW: Jeremy Corbyn will pledge to extend his party’s free childcare offer beyond 30 hours for low-income families, ahead of his big conference speech tomorrow.

 

More here:

Jeremy Corbyn to extend Labour's free childcare offer beyond 30 hours-a-week

2018-09-25T15:55:07.396Z

Labour must kick out supporters with a “despicable hatred of Jewish people” just as it “beat the Blackshirts”, Emily Thornberry has told the party’s conference.

 

Full story here:  

Labour must root out supporters with a 'despicable hatred of Jewish people', says Emily Thornberry

2018-09-25T15:24:33.000Z

 

2018-09-25T15:02:21.026Z

Diane Abbott is the last shadow cabinet member to make a speech to conference today.

 

She will say that undercover police operations could not be launched without a judge's approval under a Labour government amid an inquiry into spying.

 

Our home affairs correspondent Lizzie Dearden has the story:

 

Undercover police operations would need judicial warrants under Labour government, says Diane Abbott

 

2018-09-25T14:47:10.853Z

A senior union leader has said he detested the late former prime minister Margaret Thatcher so much he set his alarm clock an hour early so he could “hate her for an hour longer” each day.

Tosh McDonald, president of train drivers union Aslef, told the Labour Party conference that while Jeremy Corbyn could “rise above” hate, he could not.

Story here:

Union leader set alarm clock earlier 'so I could hate Margaret Thatcher for an hour longer'

2018-09-25T14:30:08.126Z

2018-09-25T14:25:35.600Z

Emily Thornberry also warns against factionalism and calls for an end to "the pointless conflicts which divide our movement, which poison our online debate, and which distract us from fighting the Tories".

2018-09-25T14:23:51.733Z

Thornberry gets rapturous applause from the audience for her praise of Labour's efforts to fight racism and hatred throughout the years.

 

She tackles the antisemitism row head on, saying the first thing Labour must do is root out fascism and hatred from its ranks.

 

Thornbrry tells delegates: "We all support the Palestinian cause, we are all committed to recognise the Palestinian State, and I stand here with no hesitation when I condemn the Netanyahu government for its racist policies and its criminal actions against the Palestinian people.

 

"But I know as well, and we must all acknowledge, that there are sickening individuals on the fringes of our movement, who use our legitimate support for Palestine as a cloak and a cover for their despicable hatred of Jewish people, and their desire to see Israel destroyed.

 

"Those people stand for everything that we have always stood against and they must be kicked out of our party the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool."

2018-09-25T14:09:01.160Z

Emily Thornberry is now making her speech to delegates in the main conference hall.

 

She says the Tories are "hurtling towards a false choice between the ‘Chequers Deal’ and ‘No Deal’, either one of which will kill jobs and growth all across our country, and neither one of which we will accept".

 

She takes a swipe at Donald Trump, condemning "the rise of leaders projecting a form of nationalism not defined by love of one’s country and one’s people, but by hatred towards everyone else; by the erosion of democracy and free speech; and by the demonisation of any minority, any religion, and indeed any media outlet deemed to be ‘the enemy’."

2018-09-25T13:50:06.000Z

2018-09-25T13:28:52.000Z

Breaking story here - Emily Thornberry has said that if Labour wins power it should seek to delay Brexit by extending the Article 50 period.  

The shadow foreign secretary said the country should abide by the 2016 referendum result, but argued that we “cannot obviously leave in the current circumstances”.

More here:

Labour government should delay Brexit by extending the Article 50 period, says Emily Thornberry

2018-09-25T13:00:22.000Z

Here's the full story on Labour's Brexit divisions:

 

Labour's Brexit row deepens as Keir Starmer declares in speech 'nobody is ruling out Remain'

2018-09-25T12:40:45.000Z

Best for Britain chief, Eloise Todd said: "Keir Starmer's speech today has put staying in the EU firmly on the table.

 

"After an unprecedented grassroots effort mainly from Corbyn’s supporters, Labour look set to back a public vote should an election not happen.

 

"The delegates should listen to the standing ovation that accompanied Keir’s words and confirm the motion this afternoon.”

2018-09-25T12:22:45.000Z

Pro-Brexit group Labour Leave accused Sir Keir of using his conference speech to undermine Jeremy Corbyn in a veiled bid for the leadership.

Describing the shadow Brexit secretary's comments as "a betrayal of the very highest order" which would cost the party seats in Parliament, Labour Leave general secretary Brendan Chilton said: "Keir's speech today was a challenge to Jeremy's leadership.

"It was a carefully calculated pitch, no doubt written with a team of advisers. He is undermining Jeremy, John McDonnell and millions of Labour voters, and he knows it.

"At times the speech had more in common with a leadership stump speech than a policy announcement. Many people will wonder whether Sir Keir is trying to line himself up as the Remain replacement for Jeremy."

2018-09-25T12:18:41.723Z

Writing for The Independent, Margaret Hodge has accused Jeremy Corbyn of creating a "hostile environment" for Jews:

 

Margaret Hodge launches conference attack on Jeremy Corbyn over 'hostile environment' for Jews

Labour grandee accuses party leader of 'insensitive stubbornness' after he refuses to apologise to Jewish community

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