Nine-hour Labour meeting ends in stalemate as party executive fails to agree rule changes on deselections and leadership contests

National Executive Committee delays decision until Saturday amid major internal divisions

Allies of Jeremy Corbyn want to make it easier for a left-winger candidate to get on the leadership ballot in future (Getty Images)

Labour's ruling executive has failed to reach agreement on a raft of controversial rule changes designed to hand more powers to members.

The party's National Executive Committee (NEC) delayed making a decision on the most contentious changes until Saturday, despite meeting for almost nine hours in a bid to thrash out a compromise.

The most hotly contested changes relate to plans to make it easier for party members to deselect sitting MPs.

The left-wing Momentum campaign group wants serving MPs to face an open selection process in which anyone could stand against them.

But that is opposed by some senior figures, including John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, amid fears it would deepen the rift between party leaders and Labour MPs.

NEC members were also reportedly unable to agree on plans to reform party leadership elections to make it easier for a left-wing candidate to get on the ballot paper.

Labour's internal factions have been at loggerheads over where to set the threshold for nominations a candidate must receive to secure a place on the ballot.

Supporters of Mr Corbyn want to lower the threshold to ensure MPs are not able to effectively veto a left-wing candidate but, during tense internal discussions, Labour’s trade union backers insisted on an alternative proposal that would force potential candidates to also secure the backing of union members.

There was also a lack of agreement on proposals to give the NEC greater powers, at the expense of the deputy leader, if the leader resigns. Under the plans, the deputy, currently Tom Watson, would have to seek the committee's approval before acting.

The NEC will reconsider the issues at a meeting on Saturday evening, on the eve of the party’s annual conference in Liverpool. The changes they propose will then be voted on next week by delegates at the gathering.

The raft of potential rule changes arose from Labour's Democracy Review, carried out by Katy Clark, an aide to Mr Corbyn.

The most contentious proposals would see MPs forced to secure the support of two-thirds of party members and affiliated supporters in order to automatically be reselected as the Labour candidate for the next general election.

That falls a long way short of the open process favoured by left-wingers but is opposed by MPs and Labour "moderates", who fear it could pave the way for deselecting critics of Mr Corbyn.

Despite failing to reach a consensus on the most difficult matters, the NEC did agree to postpone plans to allow party members to choose local government leaders.

Council leaders are currently elected by councillors rather than by members.

After the meeting, NEC member and Newcastle Council leader Nick Forbes wrote on Twitter: “The NEC has formally agreed to defer any decisions on rule changes for local government until 2019, pending a longer review which will involve Labour councillors and [the Local Government Association Labour group] in the next stages.

"A sensible and pragmatic decision that will be welcomed by many in Labour local government."