Kezia Dugdale is expected to emerge victorious from the largest fight of her political career.

A fresh attempt by allies of Jeremy Corbyn to delay the party's Scottish and Welsh leaders from making appointments to Labour's ruling body has been defeated.

The UK’s largest union Unite will also abstain in a vote on the proposals later.

Mr Corbyn lost the battle to block Welsh leader Carwyn Jones and Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale or their representatives from sitting on the NEC on Monday.

The committee instead voted in favour of giving the party in Scotland and Wales more autonomy.

But there was a last-ditch attempt to separate the seats issue from other proposals.

The overall package includes a £100,000 fund for working-class candidates.

Both sides agreed the seats plan had more chance of being defeated if it was taken separately from the other measures.

But NEC chair Paddy Lillis ruled a show of hands was "overwhelmingly" in favour of considering them as a group.

Audience members at the party's annual conference in Liverpool were warned to "behave yourselves" by Mr Lillis when disgruntled delegates complained that the vote had been too close to call.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes, who put forward the reference back motion, and NEC member Christine Shawcroft insisted the motion should have been put to a more accurate card vote.