Jeremy Corbyn makes plea for Labour unity - BBC News
Jeremy Corbyn tells the Scottish Labour conference that the party must unite if it is to get into government.
Jeremy Corbyn told Labour delegates that they must be "united" to get into government

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has issued a plea for unity in his speech to the party's Scottish conference in Dundee.

The build-up to the conference has seen continuing disagreements within the party about its approach to Brexit and how to tackle anti-Semitism.

Mr Corbyn told delegates that to get into government "we have to be united".

And he said Labour "must lead the fight against all types of racism" and "root out anti-Semitism in our party and in society at large".

This came after the leader of the party's group in the Lords wrote to Mr Corbyn complaining that handling of anti-Semitism complaints had been an "embarrassing mess" and a "political failure".

Mr Corbyn was the main speaker on the first day of the conference in Dundee, with Scottish leader Richard Leonard to address delegates on Saturday and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaking on Sunday.

As well as the leaders' speeches, the conference is to feature debates about healthcare, the economy, education and Scotland's place in the world - with a series of local party motions lodged on the topic of a fresh EU referendum for the latter.

Richard Leonard will address the conference on Saturday

The build-up to the conference - the party's first major gathering since eight MPs quit to sit as a new "Independent Group" at Westminster - has been hit by rows over Brexit and anti-Semitism.

Former leader Kezia Dugdale complained that references to a second EU referendum had been removed from a conference report from the party's Scottish MEPs - something described as a "genuine misunderstanding" by a Labour source.

And bosses averted a fresh row over anti-Semitism by promising to publish a statement from the party executive in lieu of an emergency debate on the topic at the conference, which some local groups had been pushing for.

Mr Corbyn told delegates that Labour could get into power in London and Edinburgh, but warned them that "to get there, we have to be united".

He continued: "That doesn't mean we have no room for disagreement. Discussion and debate are the lifeblood of our democracy. But there is no justification for the abuse of anybody.

"Racism, religious bigotry and misogyny have no place whatsoever in our movement.

"And we will root out anti-Semitism in our party, and in society at large. We, the Labour Party, must lead the fight against all types of racism."

He later added that unity was the party's "greatest asset", saying: "The only thing that can hold us back is if we were to turn our fire on each other rather than on the Tory government.

"With the Conservatives in disarray, now is the time to come together and defeat them."

Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird made similar arguments in her speech on Friday morning, telling delegates that "unity is key to any winning team".

And both politicians hit out at constitutional "obsessions" of other parties, contrasting Labour with the Conservatives and the SNP.

Mr Corbyn said the dominance of issues like Brexit and Scottish independence "borders almost on the obsessive", taking attention away from other issues.

He said: "The truth about Labour is, we're not obsessed by constitutional issues like the others are. We're absolutely obsessed with tackling the problems people face in their daily lives.

"Ending insecurity at work. Ending poverty wages. Ending the cuts to our public services.

"Because we believe that the real divide in our society is not between people who voted yes or no for independence. And it's not between people who voted to remain or to leave the EU.

"The real divide is between the many - who do the work, create the wealth and pay their taxes - and the few, who set the rules, reap the rewards and dodge their taxes."