Sadiq Khan poses with Jeremy Corbyn after Labour row over 'silencing' him

Water under the bridge? Sadiq Khan with Jeremy Corbyn in Brighton
Twitter.com/SadiqKhan
Hatty Collier24 September 2017

Sadiq Khan and Jeremy Corbyn smiled for a photo on the eve of the Labour party conference following a row over plans to deny the London mayor a star speaking slot.

The Mayor said it was “great to catch up” with the Labour leader as they arrived in Brighton for the party conference which officially begins on Sunday.

The Labour women’s conference was taking place on Saturday before the formal start of the full national event the following day.

Mr Khan had initially been denied an opportunity to address conference after the party leadership decided time should be preserved for ordinary members to speak.

But the conference arrangements committee (CAC) secured him a slot on during a meeting on Thursday.

The leader’s office later confirmed that Mr Khan would definitely get a slot, likely to be early on in the conference.

Some of those loyal to the Labour leader had not wanted Mr Khan to speak following “disloyal” comments from the conference’s main stage last year in Liverpool.

At that event, Mr Khan angered some when he stressed the importance of Labour in power “not just talking the talk, but walking the walk too”.

The Mayor had also prompted criticism from Corbyn loyalists by sitting blank-faced while his party leader praised him for his mayoral election victory.

Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter said: “Sadiq should obviously be speaking as the most senior Labour person in government in England. And as the person in the most successful region electorally with the biggest personal mandate.”

A source in the leader’s office said: “This isn’t personal. There is a desire to give members more time to speak and debate.”

Mr Corbyn was greeted by large crowds as he staged a mass rally in a Brighton park to kick off the Labour party conference on Saturday night.

The Labour leader attacked the Tories as the “party of the rich, for the rich” as he addressed the enthusiastic eve-of-conference rally.

He arrived on stage to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme tune in scenes more like a music festival than a political rally.

Addressing a crowd that chanted "Oh Jeremy Corbyn", dotted with European Union banners and a sign saying "boycotting Israel is not anti-Semitic", Mr Corbyn set out his hopes to harness grassroots support to change the party and ultimately put him in Downing Street.

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