Thread by @lewis_goodall

Feeling on the floor from some of the delegates is that Corbyn’s opponents have turned Composite 13 into a form of confidence vote on the Corbyn leadership, so lots of rallying around him/urging to vote it down. #Lab19

One member told me: “the media have made this about Jeremy so we need to support him.”

Screaming from the conf floor asking to be called. Shouts of “points of order!”

Now huge applause for Corbyn from delegates when Jewish Voice for Labour delegate hails him as “the most anti-racist leader we’ve ever had.”

Prevailing wind now is that leadership will prevail and pro-remain motion will go down.

One pro-Remain source gets in touch:

Another delegate: “We are not remainers or Leavers we are socialists.”

It keeps being put. But what if you want a party which is both socialist and remain or leave? What do you do then? The Corbyn project’s answer to that is to ignore the question.

Absolutely electric atmosphere on the floor right now. Mini debates breaking out across the room. Lots of speakers attacking the chair too. #lab19

#lab19 is essentially now having a debate about how they debate.

Delegate on conf floor tells me “it feels like it will be close but Corbyn has it. CLP delegates are furiously texting colleagues to get here ASAP as we think it will be a card vote and if every delegate gets back here to vote we might swing it for Composite 13 [remain motion].”

Hence the room is filling up *rapidly*

Now Keir Starmer takes to the floor before the vote. Big moment.

Starmer: “We used to call Theresa May’s govt the zombie govt. but at least she occasionally won a vote:”

Starmer: “there’s only one way through Brexit. Whether it’s this government, or the next, put it to the people.”

Interesting: he seems to be indicating the referendum could come before an election....

Starmer: “last year I stood before you promising you the option of remain. We’ve come a long way.” A none too subtle remind er that he’s the man responsible for that movement.

Starmer: “incoming Labour govt would legislate immediately for a referendum upon taking power and hold it within six months. So I have a very simple message: if you want a referendum, vote Labour. If you want a final say on Brexit, vote Labour. If you want to remain,vote Labour.”

Starmer sets himself up against Corbyn: “you know how I stand on Remain.”

The “we’ve come a long way” bit was ad libbed. I wonder why.

Source tells me Corbyn’s office more convinced all three motions will pass.

Ok so initially votes will be done in a show of hands. Room very tense.

Ok. Now there’s a debate about who should be in the room and who shouldn’t. And whether they should go straight to a card vote.

NEC MOTION CARRIED

Followed by this. They know it’s a big victory for the leadership.

The big one. Composite 13: LOST. The Labour Party is not campaigning for Remain.

The moment.

Screams now for a card vote from the floor. Then followed by victorious chants of “oh Jeremy Corbyn”.

This is not good. Not good at all. As a contact texts me: “This is a bullshit fix. Chair says it’s carried, general sec intervenes and she changes her mind. Disgrace. democracy in Labour only wins when Unite decide it does 🤬.”

This is a disaster for Lab. To me, it looked like the composite was lost. But given how controversial it was it would surely have been better to have the vote counted. Instead this will be brought up repeatedly as part of an illegitimate process. It’ll make the wound toxic.

As I’m leaving the room the mood is black. Chatter of “disgrace.” “Stitch up”, “outrageous.”

Another Labour source: “Formby has fixed that for JC. She sounded panicked on the TV when she said no no it's lost! Card vote was fair option. V disappointing show whatever said you're on.”

Presumably the leadership were worried that given the card vote isn’t conducted in the room (and therefore without pressure of show of hands to support the leadership) they’d narrowly lose.

The mad thing is, inevitably, when and if there is a Labour government and there is a Labour Brexit deal and there is a special Labour conference, they’ll almost certainly vote to campaign for remain then anyway.

Even though their policy might on paper be a sensible one, and makes sense in terms of negotiating a new deal with Brussels, the problem for Labour is they have enabled their opponents to say they have explicitly rejected Remain. That has the potential to be a big, big problem.