THERE were chaotic and angry scenes at Labour's party conference yesterday after the leadership triumphed in a battle over Brexit.

Delegates overwhelmingly backed Jeremy Corbyn’s “neutral” motion which called for ambiguity on how the party would campaign in a second EU referendum.

Another composite motion which would have committed the party to enthusiastically backing Remain was narrowly defeated, leading to furious scenes in the conference hall.

After it failed, leadership loyalists stood and cheered, and sang “oh, Jeremy Corbyn”.

Others demanded a recount.

In a bizarre moment, Wendy Nichols, who was chairing the debate, appeared to initially say the motion had been carried – but then following a conversation with Labour’s general secretary Jennie Formby, said it had, in fact, fallen.

A belligerent Nichols then refused to hold a card vote – effectively a count of all delegates – leading to bad tempered exchanges in the conference hall.

“Whichever way I go with this I’m going to be in trouble with some people,” she said.

The party’s Brexit policy is now to negotiate a new deal with the EU within three months, and then hold a referendum within six months, with voters asked to choose between Labour’s agreement and remaining in the EU.

The party itself will only decide what side they’re backing in that referendum at a special conference to be held at some point in the future.

The result is a victory for Corbyn, who was backed by the majority of Labour’s 12 affiliated unions, including Unite and the GMB.

His people had effectively framed it as a proxy vote on his leadership.

Unison were one of the few unions to back the Remain motion.

Hilary Benn told the BBC he was sorry about the result: “In an election, people ask candidates, parties and political leaders what is your view on the big issue of the day.

“I think it’s difficult to see how you can actually sustain that in the face of the questions that will come from journalists and millions of voters.”

Labour MP Ian Murray said it was “deeply disappointing” that the party had chosen not to campaign for remain, “as that certainly does not reflect the strong views of the overwhelming majority of our members and supporters.”

He added: “It is simply not tenable for our leadership to be neutral when we face the biggest crisis our country has witnessed in modern times.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pounced on the chaos. “Labour rejects a clear pro Remain position and instead stays firmly perched on the Brexit fence. An abdication of leadership,” she tweeted.

The SNP leader added: “It beggars belief – from a practical and principled point of view - that Corbyn thinks he can go through a General Election without saying if he backs Remain or Leave.

Earlier, Momentum founder Jon Lansman had urged members to reject the Corbyn motion, complaining that the NEC, of which he is a member, had not scrutinised the wording of the statement properly.

He tweeted: I’m completely supportive of Jeremy’s leadership but I’m incredibly disappointed with the process by which today’s NEC statement on Brexit was produced. There was no meeting, no discussion, no consultation with the membership.

“On one of the biggest issues of the day, this is a travesty.

Across the membership there are many different views on Brexit, and on conference floor members should feel free to vote with their conscience.”

Summing up the debate Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, said: “We need to ask the public whether they are prepared to leave with the best deal that can be secured. Or whether they wouldn’t rather remain in the EU. The people must have the final say.

“A referendum in which ‘remain’ should – and will – be on the ballot paper. Along with the best leave deal that can be secured. We owe it to those who want to leave to secure that leave deal.”