Labour Party conference: It’s a no vote but we're all talking Brexit, says Telford council leader

Councillor Davies, who is also leader of Telford Labour party, has been making the case for the borough as he meets with senior party figures at its annual conference.

The event is being held in Brighton, where Councillor Davies has been for a number of days.

With Brexit the hot topic on Monday after it was revealed the party would not be holding a vote on the issue, Councillor Davies said he was keen to discuss the issue.

He said: "Although there is no vote, everyone here is discussing Brexit.

"Obviously there was large support in Telford for leaving the European Union in the referendum. I'm keen that people understand why people voted for that.

"This party is a broad church but I am keen that people understand the concerns of people in Telford as we discuss leaving the EU.

On the whole, he said, the mood in the party is positive.

He said: "The atmosphere is buoyant, I have never been to such a large conference which reflects the fact that we are now the largest party in Europe.

"There is a real desire to build on the new manifesto and the commitments from the last general election.

"The tagline is for the many, not the few and the party wants to build an offer that benefits all of society, not just the richest at the top."

He added: "One of the most powerful things for me was that I met with some of the victims of Grenfell Tower and discussed with them the events leading up to, and after the disaster.

"It has been really powerful and it has shown the devastating effects that the cuts can have."

Councillor Davies also addressed concerns from Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham that the party is too "London-centric".

Mr Burnham has said the failure to invite any civic leader from the North of England to speak at the party's annual conference in Brighton showed Labour was "half-hearted" in its commitment to devolving power.

The former cabinet minister said he was disappointed that London Mayor Sadiq Khan would be the only major municipal leader given the chance to address activists from the main platform.

But Councillor Davies said: "There are thousands of delegates here from all over the country and there are seminars and events outside the main area discussing all sorts of issues."

He said there was still a positive attitude in the party that it could make gains across the country in the next general election, whenever it may be called.

He said: "Labour is on an element of standby, which is shown by manifesto improvements being done so early.

"I know speaking to Conservatives before the election, they were hoping Lucy Allan in Telford would increase the majority by 5,000 or 6,000."

"We kept that to under 1,000 which is not good enough but we are positive that we can win the seat back."