CLEAR AS MUD
Fresh Brexit farce for Labour as Jeremy Corbyn sees off plot to force party to back Remain – so he can decide NEXT YEAR what to do
LABOUR was last night tearing itself apart over Brexit yet again after Remainers failed in a bid to force Jeremy Corbyn to back staying in the EU.
In farcical scenes at the party's Brighton conference, leftie delegates were at each other's throats after the plot was defeated by a marginal show of hands.
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Mr Corbyn managed to whip his ultra-loyalist supporters into line and force them to back his plan to decide Brexit next year.
Labour's position will now be to stay neutral until after a special conference, kicking the decision into the long grass yet again.
It could even mean they go into an election being unable to tell voters which way they would campaign.
To the fury of Remainers in the conference hall this evening, chair Wendy Nichols refused to hold a vote by a ballot, despite both sides claiming victory in the showdown.
She initially suggested the Remain plot had won - before being overruled by general secretary Jennie Formby, a close ally of Mr Corbyn.
"Sorry I thought it was one way... and Jennie said something else," she said, leading to raised eyebrows in the conference hall.
"Yes, that was lost."
Pro-EU members shouted "disgrace" and "stitch up'".
But Corbynites chanted "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" in celebration to drown out the furious members trying to call for a second vote.
Remainers are now furious the vote appeared to be so close but wasn't put through to a full election.
The vote comes despite senior figures such as Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry furiously campaigning for party to embrace Remain.
The Sun Says
EVERY sane person should be horror-struck by the rabid lunacy of what Labour is now seriously proposing. It is a mad blueprint for the destruction of our economy and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
We hope one group in particular was watching it closely.
Because if former Tories such as Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond get their way, and thwart Brexit before October 31, then they will be to blame for John McDonnell’s teenage Marxist fantasies becoming terrifyingly real.
Boris Johnson would probably win an election if he delivers Brexit on time. If not, Corbyn may well do so despite setting all-time records for unpopularity and with his new “neutral” Brexit policy a display of staggering cowardice.
Some might initially approve of certain Labour ideas: A 32-hour, four-day week for all, on the same pay? Great! But, er, what when your firm cannot afford it, goes bust and lays you off?
You might not care, either, if Labour shuts private schools. Until your taxes are educating those displaced kids in newly-overwhelmed comprehensives, while their wealthy parents suddenly have £30,000 free for even better holidays.
And once Labour has seized schools’ private property, why would they stop there? Nothing is safe — not your business, savings, pension or home.
Who will want to live, or invest, in a country run by class war extremists who don’t even respect property ownership? No one, as Venezuela discovered.
This is before we even get to Labour blowing our taxes on “reparations” to other countries for our colonial past. Or the “free everything” splurge with which they hope to dupe the slow- witted. It would require hundreds of billions of pounds. Where from?
Not the “rich” — you won’t see them for dust.
But Labour has somehow equalled this madness with their Brexit policy. On the biggest issue since the war they have literally no view. They’re neutral.
Good luck selling that to Leavers — or Remainers. Everyone, in other words.
And yet there are ex-Tories who apparently still prefer the risk of this shambolic horror show running the country over fulfilling the promises they once made to the Leave-voting majority.
It is a historic error.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted this evening: "I do not believe this decision reflects the views of the overwhelming majority of Labour members who desperately want to stop Brexit.
"Labour IS a Remain party."
The decision is a victory for Labour boss Mr Corbyn, who was saved by his union paymasters backing his fudge as an official position.
He's been desperate for years to keep both sides of his warring party on side - promising them they could have it both ways.
James Cleverly MP, Chairman of the Conservative Party, said: "Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have once again dodged making any decision on Brexit, proving yet again all they offer is more of the same – more talk, more indecision and more pointless delay.
"It is now official Labour policy to delay Brexit until at least 2020 and even longer if the EU demand it.
"Only Boris Johnson and the Conservatives will get Brexit done by 31 October, whatever the circumstances, and get on with delivering the change that people voted for."
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir told the party just minutes before the vote: "If you want a referendum - Vote Labour.
"If you want a final say on Brexit - Vote Labour.
"If you want to fight for Remain - Vote Labour. Labour will let the people decide."
He said this evening he was "disappointed" the party had voted to hold off on a decision but was confident the party would back Remain later.
"I think most people will realise that the Labour Party membership is so overwhelmingly in favour of Remain, it’s obvious where this will end up," he told Politico.
But Lib Dem boss Jo Swinson said he was a secret Brexiteer and refused to show leadership.
She stormed: "Jeremy Corbyn has again shown a total lack of leadership on Brexit and settled on yet another fudge on the biggest issue facing our country.
"Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly had the opportunity to put the full force of the Labour behind a Remain position, but he has once again shown today that he is a Brexiteer at heart."
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What is Labour's position on Brexit?
JEREMY Corbyn's plan passed through Labour's annual conference today.
It will call a second referendum within six months of getting into power - if they ever do.
The party will spend thre months trying to get a new Brexit deal with the EU.
And they will then have a special conference to decide whether to campaign for or against it in a second referendum.
Mr Corbyn could also give his shadow cabinet a free vote on the issue, meaning they could campaign however they liked.
Unions Unite and GMB saved Mr Corbyn's skin by backing his plan this evening.
Unite's Len McCluskey told conference: "Please give Jeremy the support he needs later."
But Unison OPPOSED Labour's ruling body's motion - in a huge break with tradition which could have tipped the balance towards Remain.
Earlier MP Stephen Kinnock joked that Labour has had "more Brexit positions than the Karma Sutra".
The Aberavon MP described the first few days of the conference as "utter shambles" and slammed the party's move away from respecting the referendum.
"Our position on Brexit is being treated with ridicule on the doorsteps in my constituency," he said.
Momentum boss Jon Lansman blasted: "I’m incredibly disappointed with the process by which today’s NEC statement on Brexit was produced. There was no meeting, no discussion, no consultation with the membership."
And Tories immediately launched into their confusing Brexit stance.
Jake Berry MP said: "Labour will negotiate a new Brexit deal, then hold a special conference to decide which side to back.
"They'll then ignore the 2016 referendum and hold another, where they'll either support Remain, the deal they've negotiated or stay neutral.
"Got it? 🤔"
Jeremy Corbyn launched into a huge rant this morning as he crumbled under Brexit pressure.
The Labour boss raged at the media just hours before the crucial showdown.
As he was followed by reporters this morning Mr Corbyn shouted: "This is our conference, these are our stalls!
"Your behaviour, pushing past people, pushing people over and pushing people who want to visit stalls, is totally unacceptable!"
And he blasted: "I’m asking you to behave with respect to our members and our conference."
It comes after he snapped repeatedly at BBC boss Andrew Marr yesterday during an interview.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said this morning: "I think people should express their own judgement on this.
"There will be some who think we can get a (better) deal, but there will be others like myself who think you cannot get a better deal than Remain."
If the Labour boss had lost it would have been a huge blow to his authority.
Andrew Gwynne Shadow Communities Secretary told Radio 4's Westminster Hour on Sunday that the shadow cabinet have been told by Jeremy Corbyn that they can campaign as they want on Brexit in a future referendum - just like in the 1975 EU vote.
"Jeremy has always said he wants to take the Harold Wilson approach," he said.
"If they have a very firmly Remain position in that referendum they will be given the opportunity to make that case," he added.
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