OUTRAGE at the Labour conference over a decision not to hold a major policy debate on Brexit has been heard as far away as Hove Town Hall – but not in Kemp Town.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Warren Morgan criticised the decision, but his fellow councillor and Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle insisted the party had had adequate debate on the subject.

On Monday night, Momentum activists loyal to Mr Corbyn, as well as the party’s union backers, were instrumental in blocking a motion on Brexit coming to the floor of the conference.

They have instead put forward matters surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire and the state of the railways, among a list of “contemporary motions” to be debated by full conference in a way which can affect party policy.

While there was a discussion on Brexit yesterday morning, led by shadow Brexit Secretary Kier Starmer, it had no chance of amending the National Policy Forum’s stated position on the matter.

Labour council leader Warren Morgan, a staunch Remain advocate, criticised the lack of debate, saying: “This is the biggest issue of the day, going beyond party politics and impacting on almost every aspect of our economy and our daily lives.

“It is, in my view, essential that the Labour Party, meeting in Brighton and Hove, should take this once-in-a-year opportunity to have an informed and democratic debate on the issue, taking into account the views of members from around the country.”

And his Brexit-supporting Labour colleague, councillor Tom Bewick of Westbourne ward, said: “There should have been a vote on Labour’s Brexit position because we need to show the electorate that we genuinely respect the EU referendum result.

“Instead we’ve got a further fudge.

“The difficult truth is that those now plotting within the party to stay permanently in the single market are trying to overturn the decision to leave by stealth.

“Yet again we see MPs that forced a second leadership election on Jeremy Corbyn, now trying to force division in the party over Brexit.”

However the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown said: “There was a discussion, it was a good and frank discussion, and delegates can also vote.”

He said he had hoped Brexit would have come to the floor as a contemporary motion but was “not bemoaning” the decision to prioritise other matters.

He added that he thought the party’s existing position on Brexit “is pretty good”.

The Labour party’s current stated position is to back the UK’s departure from the EU but to retain membership of the customs union and single market at least through any transitional period.

The previous day Mr Russell-Moyle told a “Stop Brexit” rally he thought Britain should remain in the EU.