The Labour Party is holding its annual conference in Brighton, with the morning session including a debate on Britain's global role.

Addressing the conferencel, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who is leading Labour's campaign to remain in the European Union, recalls the EU referendum in 1975, and how he voted in his tank top and flares with a "feather-cut hairstyle".

Looking ahead to the in/out referendum on Britain's membership, he warns that to leave the EU would be a "disaster" for the country, saying it would also precipitate Scotland breaking away from the UK.

Brian Wheeler

David Hillman, of the Robin Hood tax campaign, revealed last night that they had now received more than a million signatures on their petition calling for a Financial Transaction Tax.

The Daily Mail

The Daily Mail, external accuses Labour of a "return to the politics of envy" with Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell.

"Labour will today signal a major tax raid on the middle classes as the party shifts even further to the Left," the Mail claims.

Brian Wheeler

A self-deprecating joke from John McDonnell at a Unite fringe meeting last night.

The shadow chancellor asked whether people were sitting down or standing up to make their speeches. 

When told sitting he said that was fine: "I’m a surprise guest… no one’s more surprised to be here than me."

Victoria Derbyshire

How does Jeremy Corbyn reconcile his differences on certain policies with others in the shadow cabinet and the parliamentary Labour Party? Caroline Flint says the party is loyal and wants to do what it can to help Jeremy Corbyn and the leadership make the party win again. "But that is a two-way process," she adds. She welcomes that Mr Corbyn has said he is open to discussion on policy matters.

Asked about talk within the party of mandatory re-selection of MPs to purge moderates, Caroline Flint says "these voices to destabilise our party... are completely counter-productive and unhelpful". She says she's been active in Labour for 36 years and so doesn't have to prove her loyalty to the party.

Ms Flint says it’s important that Jeremy Corbyn, as leader, stamps his authority "on this sort of talk".

She also cites abuse on social media "from some sections of the party and some registered supporters... who seem to think that somehow they have a monopoly on ideas in the party", and says it needs to stop.

Victoria Derbyshire

Ex-shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint - who said she would not serve in a Jeremy Corbyn shadow cabinet - says the party has been talking to itself over the past five months, during the course of the leadership contest, and it must now connect with the public and connect with voters who deserted the party in May. That's her priority - and why she has stepped down from a front bench role, she explains.

Image source, AFP

"Robin Hood tax on banks divides shadow cabinet," says the Times, external, reporting on proposals for a tax on financial transactions. It says that one of Labour's high profile figures is among the opponents of the plan.

Victoria Derbyshire

Labour MP Jon Ashworth defends Labour's anti-austerity stance under Jeremy Corbyn, saying people are fed up with the government's "dogmatic approach" to cutting public spending. But he says the party is committed to eliminating the deficit. He cites plans to boost infrastructure investment, which has been "woeful" under the Conservatives. He's also "confident" more money can be recouped from tackling tax evasion.

Image source, AFP

In other political news, the prime minister has announced that dozens of British troops are to be sent to Somalia to help peacekeeping efforts to counter Islamist militants.

Up to 70 personnel will join a United Nations contingent supporting African Union troops fighting al-Shabab. Up to 300 could also be deployed in South Sudan over time.

David Cameron, who is attending the UN General Assembly summit, said the approach could help curb migrants coming to Europe.

More here.

Channel 4's Gary Gibbons reported yesterday, external that Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secetary, has been replaced on Labour's National Executive Body by Rebecca Long Bailey - one of the MPs who nominated and voted for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership. The NEC is Labour's governing body and has a big role in devising Labour's manifesto policies.

The Guardian

Image source, Reuters

Over at the Guardian, external, Matthew D'Ancona argues that "a Corbyn who connects would really frighten the Tories". He thinks the challenge for Labour's new leader is not to appeal to the party faithful but to "millions of sceptical voters" before the next election.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

It seems that talk of disunity within the party will dominate this Labour Party conference. How will Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn negotiate the terrain? Polly Toynbee, writer for The Guardian, says Jeremy Corbyn’s “new politics” is “absolutely fascinating”. She says people are fed up with “robotic” politics and it’s interesting to have politicians speaking their own minds.

But Duncan O'Leary, research director at centre-left think tank Demos, says it’s not coherent yet. He says that while it’s healthy to involve members and for politicians to disagree in public, you can’t avoid decision-making for ever, citing trouble over Trident, for example.

Polly Toynbee contends that a lot of Labour policy has been set by already, such as its stance on the in/out EU referendum and Nato.

Here's how some of the papers are responding to John McDonnell's announcements about Labour's economic plans. The Daily Telegraph, external doesn't sound keen:

John McDonnell has been doing the media rounds this morning, ahead of his first speech to Labour conference in his new role as shadow chancellor.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live this morning, Mr McDonnell said socialist philosopher Karl Marx was "one of the definitive analysts" of how the capitalist system works.