LABOUR members will use the party’s conference to challenge Sir Keir Starmer to reinstate the whip to former leader Jeremy Corbyn. 

Mr Corbyn, who has been suspended from Labour’s parliamentary group since last year, has repeatedly been backed by fellow MPs amid calls for his reinstatement. 

Now local branches are reportedly circulating a rule change, to be voted on later this year, which would see members given the final say on disciplinary action taken against parliamentarians. 

The proposal has been drawn up by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, the Observer reports, and states the change is needed urgently to close a “gaping hole in the Labour Party rule book.”

The group confirmed local party branches were being lobbied to back the conference move, which has been designed to reinstate the whip to the former leader. 

Labour MP and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell wrote on Twitter that it was time to “grow up and reinstate.” 

He said allowing the issue of withdrawal of whip from Mr Corbyn to drag on into conference is not only wrong but electorally and tactically inane, warning this would turn off voters.