'A travesty': Momentum founder Jon Lansman lashes out a Labour's leadership over Brexit motion

'Across the membership there are many different views on Brexit, and on conference floor members should feel free to vote with their conscience'

Ashley Cowburn
Political Correspondent
Monday 23 September 2019 12:01 BST
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Jon Lansman, co-founder of Momentum, at rally in support of Jeremy Corbyn, July 2016
Jon Lansman, co-founder of Momentum, at rally in support of Jeremy Corbyn, July 2016

Momentum's founder Jon Lansman has lashed out at the Labour leadership's handling of a crucial Brexit motion, describing the process behind it as a "travesty."

Splitting with other members of Momentum's national coordinating group, Mr Lansman told delegates at Labour's annual conference to vote with "their conscience".

The Independent understands the group itself decided on Monday to throw its powerful caucus behind the party's governing body – the National Executive Committee – attempt to maintain a neutral position on Brexit going into a general election.

It will urge its members to back the NEC motion, which calls for a "special conference" to decide whether Labour will back Leave or Remain at a second referendum only after an election.

But on his Twitter account, Mr Lansman, criticised the party's processes involved in drafting one of the Brexit motion that delegates will vote on today.

"I'm completely supportive of Jeremy's leadership but I'm incredibly disappointed with the process by which today's NEC statement on Brexit was produced," he wrote.

Mr Lansman continued: "There was no meeting, no discussion, no consultation with the membership. One of the biggest issues of the day, this is a travesty.

"Across the membership there are many different views on Brexit, and on conference floor members should feel free to vote with their conscience."

It comes as anti-Brexit campaigners won a major boost at the party's annual conference in Brighton after it emerged Unison union will back a motion committing to adopt a Remain position this week.

With grassroots members, unions and MPs split over the way forward on Brexit, the decision by the country’s largest trade union could prove decisive in a set of crunch votes on Monday afternoon.

It is understood that Unison, led by Dave Prentis, will vote against a statement put forward by the ruling NEC endorsing Mr Corbyn’s position of putting off a decision on which side to back until after a general election.

Instead, it will back a motion supported by more than 80 constituency Labour parties calling on the party to fight for a second referendum and campaign “energetically” in favour of Remain when it comes.

Shadow cabinet ministers including Emily Thornberry and Tom Watson have called for the party to back a Remain vote now, rather than wait for a special conference after the election.

Their actions led to Unite union boss Len McCluskey suggesting they should either get in line or "step aside" from their shadow cabinet roles.

Mr McDonnell told Sky News: "Len is being Len. We are working together as a party to make sure the people have a choice and the people will decide."

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