Labour conference wrangles over Brexit and a Green New Deal

“You’ve only got to read it on LabourList.” Not my words, readers, but the words of Jeremy Corbyn on The Andrew Marr Show this morning.

I think it’s fair to say that our rally and its cracking speeches helped open conference with all the passion you would expect from the Labour Party – after all, it did make the BBC Ten O’Clock News. Len McCluskey offered his analysis of the 2017 election – “if Jeremy hadn’t been knifed in the back by some of our own then he would’ve been in Number 10” – and encouraged everyone to back the national executive committee (NEC) Brexit statement that has so irritated Remain campaigners. From the other side of the debate, local anti-Brexit MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle attacked “fantasist Lexiteers” and argued that Labour would come “third or fourth” in the early election if it refused to back Remain. Check out other highlights – including John McDonnell’s defence of his chintz curtains and Jon Ashworth’s comedy set – on LabourList. You can even watch the whole thing here.

The Brexit row hasn’t been diffused, then. Remain activists have been reassured that the NEC statement wouldn’t necessarily cancel out conference motions passed, and compromises have been made by the leadership. The NEC proposal has been carefully designed to unite the party, suggesting that Labour would likely back Remain but only after the election. Anti-Brexit campaigners are hopeful that other trade-offs such as free movement could get a look-in. But it still looks unlikely that the parallel process – compositing, due to take place tonight – will result in a single motion. Remainers are ready for a conference floor battle – though with some CLP delegates and a majority of the unions opposed, they could lose. It is crucial to remember that as McCluskey said last night, and as the Labour leader made clear on Marr today, the NEC statement – including the idea of a special one-day conference – is the solution favoured by Jeremy Corbyn personally. And this is a majority Corbyn-supporting party.

One crucial compositing has already failed. 128 Labour for a Green New Deal motions were sent to conference by local parties, but trade unions representing energy workers reckon the zero carbon by 2030 target is “completely unachievable” in the words of one union delegate. They point out that it is more ambitious than the aim of Greenpeace, WWF or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s original GND. But supporters of the motion counter that the biggest union arguing against zero by 2030 was trying to take out a deadline altogether, which would make Labour’s pledge less radical than that of the Lib Dems. As a result, after five and a half hours of debate on Saturday night, no happy medium was found. Nonetheless, it was largely a comradely discussion, I’m told, particularly when everyone stopped to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Rebecca Long-Bailey at midnight. There will be another attempt at compositing the GND motions from 6.30pm tonight.

The other big news is that Andrew Fisher, who drafted Labour’s 2017 manifesto as one of Corbyn’s key senior aides, has quit his role. A private memo to colleagues leaked to The Sunday Times reveals that the policy adviser said members of staff in the leader’s office had a “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency”. As Corbyn put it on Marr: “I think he was extremely distressed at whatever was happening at the office at that time.” Fisher has confirmed to the media that he is resigning, though has clarified that he will stay on until the end of the year. It’s been described as another blow to the leadership during this tumultuous conference, and it’s certainly true that as a widely respected and well-liked aide many will regret his absence.

If you’re here in Brighton, we’ve got plenty more events coming up. Join us for ‘Winning back Labour’s heartlands‘ with Jon Trickett MP at 1.30pm (Pavilion Room, The Grand), ‘How should Labour approach online extremism?‘ with David Lammy MP at 3.30pm (Buckingham Room, Hilton Brighton Metropole) and our reception – with plenty of free drink – at 7.30pm (Edinburgh Room, Hilton Brighton Metropole). And don’t forget to buy your LabourList karaoke ticket for Monday night – a number of Labour MPs have promised me that they will be there and be up for a duet.