Image source, PA

It's been a busy second day of the Labour conference (there's a summary here). Tomorrow it's leader's speech time, with Jeremy Corbyn taking centre stage.

BBC Newsnight

John McDonnell says he is against all forms of violent protest, adding: "I learned that over the years through experience."

Eleanor Garnier
Political Correspondent

The Department of Education has tonight confirmed that free school meals, as they currently stand, will be protected in the government's spending review in November.

A source at the department said: 

 There had been speculation that the policy could face cuts under the Conservative government.

Brian Wheeler

The gist of John McDonnell's speech at tonight's rally was that Labour will now support all striking workers. He repeated his call for "non-violent direct action" and praised the occupation of fitness to work tests company Atos's offices by disabled people.

He ended with a call for solidarity, another standing ovation and chants of "the workers united will never be divided!"

Shelley Phelps
BBC political reporter

Conference delegates also passed a composite motion on employment rights moved by Unite the union which calls on the Labour Party to “campaign for the introduction of secure workplace balloting to be used in all industrial action/strike ballots”. This means that workers would be able to vote for or against a strike in a secret ballot at their workplace. Currently strike ballot voting is carried out by post. Unite’s rationale for the proposed change is that such a move would help to boost turnout and modernise the way strike ballots are conducted. Such ballots are sometimes already used in matters of trade union recognition where disputes arise. For many of these ballots, turnout was in the high 90% levels. No workplace ballot has ever had a return rate of less than 50%. Opponents would likely argue that workplace balloting might be open to abuse and intimidation.

Shelley Phelps
BBC political reporter

Conference delegates voted for a composite motion on Europe moved by the GMB trade union, which states: “Conference opposes working with any campaign or faction in the forthcoming referendum which supports or advocates cutting employment or social rights for people working in the United Kingdom”. In other words, if David Cameron tries to pull out of the European Union’s social chapter as part of his renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with Europe then Labour should have its own totally separate ‘in’ campaign.

Shelley Phelps
BBC political reporter

In a moment of conference downtime, here are a few interesting nuggets found in the pages of today’s riveting Labour Conference agenda:

Conference delegates are expected to pass a minor rule change to the way the Labour Party nominates leadership candidates, with the result of the vote announced tomorrow. The proposed change is that in future anyone wishing to be put on the ballot to become Labour leader must have the formal support of 15% of the combined total of Labour MPs AND MEPS. Currently they only need the support of 15% of Labour MPs. Now, you could argue this will make it harder for aspirational leaders to get the threshold of support required to make it onto the ballot because they will now need to canvass MEPs for supportive nominations too. Others argue it makes it easier because they will have a bigger pool to draw support from. By the same token, in order to depose a sitting Labour leader at the moment you need a challenger backed by 20% cent of Labour MPs. Delegates are also voting on whether this should be changed to 20% of the combined total of Labour MPs and MEPs.

The Daily Politics

The annual catch-up from the conference starts again tonight when James Landale has highlights of the day's debates. 

He will have some clips from the Daily Politics, and some later material about the SSI iron and steelmaking plant in Redcar, in a 30-minute report from the Labour conference in Brighton.

The BBC's deputy political editor is on at 23:15 BST in England and Wales, later in Scotland and N Ireland, with a UK-wide repeat at 09:00 BST on BBC Parliament on Tuesday,

Brian Wheeler

Some trade unions tried to prevent John McDonnell from becoming shadow chancellor, Matt Wrack, the leader of Fire Brigades Union has claimed.

Thankfully they didn't succeed otherwise Corbyn would have been a "lame duck" leader, he said.

He also warned Mr Corbyn to watch out for Establishment conspiracies against him.

"MI5, Special Branch and the CIA are all watching this conference with the aim of undermining it," he claimed in a speech on the steps of the Quaker Meeting House.

He was addressing an overspill crowd as the hall is full.

The FBU is not affiliated to the Labour Party but Mr Wrack said it would be campaigning for Jeremy Corbyn and supporting his leadership.

Brian Wheeler

Biblical scenes at the Quaker Meeting House. Dozens of disappointed Labour supporters being told that the Labour Representation Committee rally is full. Jeremy Corbyn was due to speak but won't be appearing but that does not seem to have put people off. John McDonnell is due to speak, along with Corbyn-supporting MPs, trade union chiefs and a representative from the English Collective of Prostitutes. "We can't let any more in," latecomers are being told. "Health and Safety, brother."    

Steve Rotheram says he has accepted the role of parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The Liverpool Walton MP was speaking at a Labour List fringe debate on housing at the party conference. A PPS is appointed from the backbenches to be the "eyes and ears" of a minister in the House of Commons.

Image source, Reuters

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell addressed Labour conference for the first time in his new role today. He pledged that the party can show  "another world is possible" by rejecting austerity while also "living within our means", and called on Labour MPs who had refused to serve under new leader Jeremy Corbyn "to come back". BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Mr McDonnell may have set out to deliver a "dull" speech but he remains the most radical shadow chancellor in years.

Here's a round-up of today's other political developments:

• BBC political reporter Gavin Stamp looks at what we learnt from Mr McDonnell's speech
• What do Labour members make of the shadow chancellor's approach? The BBC's Brian Wheeler finds out.
• A senior union leader has warned Labour MPs against campaigning alongside Conservatives during the EU referendum
• Unite union boss Len McCluskey has likened government plans to make striking workers wear official armbands on the picket line to Nazi attempts to victimise trade unions
• Labour's shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle promised a wide debate on Trident, which she says will include the thousands of people whose jobs depend on Britain's nuclear weapons system

And in non-Labour news:

• Prime Minister David Cameron has held face-to-face talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as part of a bid to revive the Syrian peace process
• BBC political reporter Caroline Walker analyses the PM's approach
• Dozens of British troops are to be sent to Somalia to help peacekeeping efforts to counter Islamist militants, David Cameron has announced.