Thread by @tony_nog

1) Calm thread on #PeoplesVote & #LabourConference2018
I'm not a fan of Corbyn, but I'm going to try to keep this fair

It's fair to say the campaign for a people's vote is a major force for this week's conference
100s of motions from the CLPs
Corbyn said he'd respect conference

2) Now, obviously politics is complex however Corbyn did say he came into the Leadership to empower the members - yes, Blair & other leaders probably played dodgy tricks in these "compositing" events but Corbyn specifically said he would be different & far more democratic

3) Spreading democracy outwards is a core belief of Corbyn, into CLPs, communities, businesses, everywhere.

Obviously as well, going for a #PeoplesVote carries some risk for the Labour party, in terms of how the press might react.

But this shouldn't, in the end, matter

4) The Labour party membership overwhelmingly support a vote on Brexit, by 9 to 1.

And it's not a stretch to believe that the vast majority of those want an option to remain.

And although obviously the leadership has a right to put its viewpoint, there's only 6 months left

5) this is the last conference before #Brexit, which *will* happen in 6 months, deal or no deal, unless an extension can be justified by a democratic event (such as a GE or a People's vote)

And Labour members are very concerned, so concerned that they've raised 150 motions

6) so here's the gist - the Labour membership overwhelmingly wants a proper vote on Brexit, and almost certainly an option to Remain.

It may, or may not, be savvy for Labour (though I suspect it is) but that shouldn't matter.

Democracy should take precedence

7) The members are supposed to be empowered, and they've spoken with the clearest possible voice.

If the output of the selection process results in a motion that does not clearly, unambiguously call for a people's vote, then democracy has failed in the Labour party

8) once again, it does not matter if the Labour Leadership, or Len McCluskey, or @billybragg thinks a people's vote is a bad idea - you either listen to the members or the whole "Greater democracy/new kind of politics" is meaningless.

@billybragg 9) The members have seen Labour's brexit approach - but they also see the car crash coming towards them, and they're worried. And they've expressed clearly across 150 or so CLPs what they want to do about it

@billybragg 10) I hope that a clear unambiguous #PeoplesVote motion appears tomorrow, it still might.

But even if it does, it's saddening that there was any level of horsetrading from the Leadership to try to thwart it.

@billybragg 11) if a motion that reflects the huge swell of feeling on a #PeoplesVote *doesn't* appear tomorrow then there's only one conclusion - Corbyn doesn't serve the Labour party, it serves him, and Labour is not a democracy

But I really hope it does, so I can focus on the Tories
End/

@billybragg Postscript
12) it looks like the following #brexit motion has been agreed. Well done to the Labour Remain & People's Vote teams - they have managed to move the leadership

However, Labour is *not* a functioning democracy I'm afraid to say - here's why

@billybragg 13) firstly the motion itself is weak & full of holes. Brexit talks will not "collapse", they'll just struggle on till the last minute.
And what is the timetable for "securing an election"? Feb 28th 2019? How can Labour even "secure an election"?

@billybragg 14) but most importantly this does *not* reflect what those motions asked for
The Labour Leadership wanted a pro #Brexit GE, the membership wanted an unambiguous #PeoplesVote with an option to Remain.

The Leadership undoubtedly prevailed over the members

@billybragg 15) the motion isn't even really a compromise, as it's the exact "all options on the table" message Keir Starmer has been briefing. At best, McDonnell & Corbyn are now more aligned with Starmer.
But this is still a PeopleVote tacked on as an extra with unclear triggers

@billybragg 16) it may be strategic, savvy or the best tactics for Labour, but it's not what the members wanted, it's what the Leadership wanted. There's no doubt about this. The leadership overruled the party.

@billybragg 17) this has been a calm #brexit thread, so it's not great to end on a "punchline", but the reality is Corbyn has showed far more respect for (mostly Tory) Leave Voters than the hopes & wishes of his own members

Labour is not a democracy anymore
#LabourConference2018