What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Labour faces a major showdown over its Brexit policy after a key meeting ended in stalemate.

Conference delegates spent hours on Sunday night trying to condense some 90 motions from local parties down to one.

But having failed to agree, the composite meeting ended with two rival motions.

While one commits to the status quo, the other which is in favour of Remain includes the party "energetically" campaigning to stay in the EU.

But a move to include revoking Article 50 in an "emergency" to stop no deal was dropped.

The marathon meeting thrashing out a fresh compromise on Labour's Brexit policy lasted four hours.

(Image: REUTERS)

Mike Buckley, Director of Labour for a Public Vote, said: “On Monday Labour conference will vote on a motion that, if passed, would commit the party to campaign for Remain in all circumstances. This reflects the opinion of the vast majority of our members and voters.

“Labour is already the only main party committed to a democratic vote on Brexit.

“If we add a commitment to Remain we will at last be providing the leadership the country needs, in contrast to the chaos offered by an increasingly extreme Conservative Party.”

Remain campaigners said they expected the vote to be "close" when it comes before the conference on Monday.

Michael Chessum of the campaign group Another Europe is Possible said: "Ninety percent of motions to this conference are anti Brexit, reflecting a membership which is overwhelmingly pro Remain.

"We are taking a Remain position to conference floor tomorrow, where we are expecting a close vote.

"Using union bloc votes to defeat the overwhelming majority of members may well not work, and would look awful.

"There will be an attempt to turn this into a loyalty test. But those proposing these motions are by and large people, like me, who have spent years fighting for the left inside Labour and backing Corbyn. We want a radical Labour government, and Corbyn in Number 10.

"The best way of getting there is with clarity on Brexit and a clear message to our members and voters that we are on their side."

The resulting motions will now be voted on by the conference delegates and, if they passes, will become official policy.

But the motion means there risks being a direct contradiction in Labour's own policy.

That is because a second, separate vote could also take place tomorrow on a statement approved by the party's ruling NEC.

Under the NEC statement, Labour would not campaign for Remain immediately.

Instead Labour would spend three months after an election trying to negotiate a better Brexit deal with the EU.

(Image: Getty Images)

Only then would the party decide which way to campaign in a second referendum, using a special conference.

The NEC statement was the brainchild of Jeremy Corbyn and approved today despite fierce opposition from pro-EU rivals.

Sources said it may now go to a vote on the conference floor on Monday.

If both the NEC statement and composite motions pass, they would exist side-by-side - even if they contradict each other.

But Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer told the composite meeting that the NEC statement would not take precedent over the motion agreed by members.