Remainer bid to hijack Labour conference with motion demanding closer ties to EU

Keir Starmer discusses Labour’s stance on the EU

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a Brexit revolt as the Labour conference kicks off today.

The Labour Movement for Europe has drafted a motion demanding the party, which is holding its annual gathering in Liverpool, commit to closer ties with the EU.

The motion by the pro-EU group has been tabled by dozens of local constituency parties.

It calls on Labour to “make rebuilding our relationship with our European neighbours a priority for our first term in office for the benefit of national security, our economy, our climate and our trade”.

The Labour-affiliated society, which backed Remain and a second referendum, claims that Brexit has “decimated exports, affected the cost of living, increased paperwork for business and led to thousands of jobs being lost”.

It also wants a pledge on “negotiating a visa system to tackle the travel and trading delays British business, students and workers are experiencing”.

Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock urged delegates to back the motion in a bid to have it debated on the conference floor.

The Labour peer said: “Everyone now knows that Brexit has inflicted, is inflicting, terrible costs and losses on our economy and it’s diminished our country internationally.

“Obviously Labour wants to change that bleak reality, and part of doing that should involve discussing it at our conference.

“So please vote with the Labour Movement in Europe and others, in giving priority to a debate to the European motion.”

Sir Keir is understood to oppose the move, the i newspaper reports, with the Labour to Win group – which is close to the leadership – recommending against bringing it to a vote.

It comes as the Labour leader, who campaigned for Remain and a second referendum, has vowed to rewrite the Brexit trade deal if he wins the next general election.

But he has insisted he would not drag the UK back into the single market or customs union.

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