John McDonnell has denied Labour's leadership is stifling debate about Brexit after delegates at the party conference blocked a meaningful vote on the issue.

Jeremy Corbyn avoided a potentially embarrassing row over Europe after members and trade union officials picked eight other "contemporary" subjects on the party's "priorities" ballot to vote on instead.

Both groups got to pick four topics, with trade unions backing the Grenfell fire, public sector pay, workers' rights and growth and investment.

Local Labour parties put Brexit fifth - behind the NHS, housing, social care and rail services.

It comes after pro-EU MPs pushed for a vote on the issue to be held at the party's conference in Brighton.


Image: Jeremy Corbyn avoided a row over Brexit

But an email from left-wing campaign group Momentum, seen by Sky News, urged its supporters not to back Brexit in the composite motion ballot, calling it a "potentially time-consuming cul-de-sac".

Speaking on Sky News' Sunrise, shadow chancellor Mr McDonnell denied the message was part of a "cynical ploy" by the leadership to avoid exposing divisions on Brexit policy.

He said: "I don't think any of our debates around Brexit have not been contentious, of course they are. There'll be a really thorough debate and you'll hear the range of views.

"We've been hearing that on every issue. The debates at this conference are so much more open than they've ever been for years."

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Votes will still be allowed on the UK-EU divorce, but none will have any power to bind party policy, as internal party division over Brexit deepens.

One furious party source described it as "a cynical move reminiscent of the worst of the New Labour years".

"It's democracy when it suits the leadership, rule by decree when it doesn't," they added.

Labour MP Heidi Alexander said she was "gobsmacked" that "the biggest single issue in the country" had not been picked for discussion.

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A Momentum spokesman told Sky News: "Brexit is set to be debated and voted on at conference on Monday so it is not true to say it is being ignored at conference.

Image: Campaign group Momentum said Brexit was not being ignored at conference

"Housing, the NHS, social care and our railways are crucially important issues for the country which deserve to be discussed at conference, so for that reason we supported them in the priorities ballot.

"Clearly there are a range of other critical issues which deserve to be discussed but we know both the public and Labour members care a lot about these issues, and it is vital Labour sets out a genuinely progressive vision on them in order to win the next election, which is why we supported them in the ballot."

In the conference hall, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour could negotiate "a new single market

relationship" with the EU after Brexit.

The shadow Brexit secretary said options for retaining the benefits of the single market and customs union "should not be swept off the table", as he also mentioned a new bespoke trade deal.

He also said that Labour is "ready to take charge of the negotiations" and deliver a "sensible" Brexit that respects the result of the referendum.