Labour’s governing body defers decision on shadow Cabinet elections

The elections will now be discussed in Liverpool at the weekend

Jeremy Corbyn arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster (PA)

Labour’s governing body has deferred a decision on shadow Cabinet elections after the NEC failed to reach a consensus.

The crunch meeting, which lasted nearly eight hours on Tuesday, failed to reach an agreement after MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) voted earlier in September to approve the measure. It will now be discussed at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool at the weekend.

It was reported earlier on Tuesday that Mr Corbyn was attempting to defer any decision until after the conference, at which he is widely expected to be confirmed in his position when the result of the leadership election is announced.

The surprise proposal to return to the electoral college system abolished by Ed Miliband was made by deputy leader Tom Watson hours before the NEC at Labour HQ in London. Mr Watson indicated he would push for Labour’s governing body to back changes to restore elections to the shadow Cabinet, which he believes could help rebuild party unity after a bruising leadership election.

MPs voted earlier this month to take back their power to elect shadow Cabinet members, but Mr Corbyn has floated a counter-proposal which might give ordinary members a say in the composition of his top team at Westminster.

If agreed, a new system for choosing the shadow Cabinet would allow Labour to "put the band back together" in time for a possible early election, Mr Watson said.

The NEC did, however, agree that the Scottish Labour Party Executive (SEC) should have greater autonomy and will be responsible for the selection of parliamentary candidates in the region. Scottish Labour will also have full control over policy making, if the NEC decision is approved by the party’s conference.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who was in London for the meeting, is understood to be pushing for the changes.

Mr Watson earlier told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Miliband's introduction of one man, one vote, was "very rushed". The new category of "registered supporters", who are able to take part in the election of the leader in return for a small fee, had proved "pretty unpopular in all sections" and should be removed, he said.

But he insisted the proposed change was not intended as a "sword of Damocles" hanging over the winner of the current contest, as it would come into effect only after they leave the post.

Mr Watson said: "We've had a very bruising summer, we are going to get a new leader elected on Saturday, we all think there is the likelihood of a very early general election and so we have got to put the band back together.

"For me, the heart of our party is the parliamentary party... and we have got to bring people back in. I think to have an elected shadow Cabinet, not an appointed shadow Cabinet, is one way we do that."

Mr Watson insisted he was "open-minded" about whether shadow Cabinet elections should involve MPs only, or a mix of members, the leader and MPs. But he pointed out that a members' vote would impose a financial burden of as much as a third of a million pounds on the party.