Labour backs free movement after Brexit and giving all immigrants the right to vote The Conservatives have accused Labour of endangering Brits with its new policy on migration

Labour would keep free movement after Brexit and let all immigrants vote in elections and referendums after party members backed a much more liberal migration regime.

The move came on the final day of a party conference overshadowed by bitter internal rows and the Supreme Court’s shock verdict.

The new policy package is a victory for activists who want Labour to position itself as an openly pro-migration party at the next election. Conservatives claim it would endanger the country by allowing foreign criminals to stay indefinitely.

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Delegates at the conference in Brighton backed the call to “maintain and extend free movement rights” after Brexit in a change to previous policy. That would let all European citizens live and work freely in the UK as they do now.

‘Equal rights’

The motion also called for all immigration detention centres to be closed down, with caps on migrant numbers abolished and no requirement for foreign citizens to earn a particular wage if they want to settle in Britain.

Labour has also pledged to “extend equal rights to vote to all UK residents”. Currently only British and Irish citizens can vote in general elections and referendums, while European citizens can vote in local and EU elections.

Diane Abbott, the shadow Home Secretary, said: “We repeatedly highlight changing attitudes on immigration. Now Labour conference passes a motion further advancing our progressive policies. The Tories are still stuck in the past, with their ‘hostile environment’, Go Home vans, Windrush scandal and overriding rights of EU 3m.”

The policy backed by activists will form the basis of the immigration section of the next Labour manifesto.

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Home Secretary Priti Patel responded: “Jeremy Corbyn does not believe in any limits on immigration. Corbyn’s Labour even wants to extend free movement to more countries and allow potentially dangerous illegal immigrants to roam our streets.”

A Tory source told i: “It makes sense electorally for Labour to stop kicking criminals and terrorists out of the country and give them the vote because we all know whose box they’ll put a cross in.”

Outspoken Remain stance

Labour’s annual conference came to a low-key conclusion today after Jeremy Corbyn and all his MPs returned to Westminster to attend Parliament in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on prorogation.

The party leader held his speech a day early, while his deputy Tom Watson scrapped his own speech because it was moved from Tuesday to Wednesday. The start of the conference was dominated by an attempt to remove Mr Watson from his post, and a bad-tempered argument over what Labour’s Brexit policy should be. Mr Corbyn managed to face down pro-EU activists who want the party to take an outspoken Remain stance.

Both sides of the Labour internal divide told i they were relieved the Supreme Court ruling brought proceedings in Brighton to an early end. A source close to the leader said the verdict energised members who were depressed by the state of the conference so far. And anti-Corbyn activists predicted the chaotic scenes would undermine the left-wing leadership.