Pro-Remain Labour activists have launched a drive to push the party’s leadership into an anti-Brexit position.

In the wake of European elections forecast to be a disaster for Jeremy Corbyn, left-wing campaigners have published a motion calling for the party to adopt a radical “remain and reform” agenda at the party’s conference in Brighton in September.

It demands the party defends free movement and takes the position that Brexit is a right-wing project which is “poisoning politics”.

Labour’s current policy is to secure a Brexit deal which includes a customs union and a “strong single market deal” and, if the UK were facing a hard Brexit or a no-deal, then to push for a second vote.

The new motion is being pushed to local Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) from next week.

It comes as the party is thought to have haemorrhaged votes to the pro-Remain Lib Dems and Green Party in Thursday’s poll after Corbyn’s bid to woo people from both sides of the Brexit debate.

The motion, drafted by three groups with a wide reach among CLPs – Open Labour, Another Europe Is Possible and Labour For A Socialist Europe – demands a “final and complete” shift in policy.

Lloyd Russell Moyle, MP for Brighton Kemptown and member of the Love Socialism Hate Brexit pressure group, is among those calling for CLPs to back the motion to add pressure on the leadership.

He said: “There is no left wing exit from the EU. The reality of Brexit is economic deregulation and scapegoating migrants. It will make us poorer and undermine our rights.

“We have a duty to stand up to that agenda, and be part of a radical transformation of the European project. Only by acting internationally can we challenge big capital and fight climate change.” Read more

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