Brexit: Labour's Thornberry warns second referendum 'likely to be a long way off'

Shadow foreign secretary also doubled down on her claim Donald Trump is a 'racist' and 'sexual predator'

Senior Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry has warned a second referendum is "likely to be a long way off" amid a drawn out Conservative leadership race.

It comes after the shadow foreign secretary urged for clarity within her own party and from Jeremy Corbyn over a fresh public vote, after Labour's miserable performance at the European elections last week.

Following the vote, the Labour leader came under intense pressure to unequivocally back a Final Say referendum and urged by his own MPs to "stop wriggling" on the issue.

Mr Corbyn has said he would back a public vote - either a general election or referendum - but also warned "that is some way off".

Pressed on the remarks on Tuesday on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Thornberry said: "It may be a long way off."

"We've got to get through another election campaign for the Tories and that's going to take most of the summer and they have to work out what on earth they are going to do and how they are going to move this agenda forward."

She continued: "So yes, it seems to be quite a long way off. And then once a decision, which I suspect will eventually need to be made, you'll either need to call a general election or you'll need to have another referendum, you'll need to go back to the public and ask for their good sense. Therefore, it's likely to be quite a long way off."

The shadow foreign secretary also defended Labour's position that Donald Trump, the US president, does not "deserve the honour" of an official state visit.

"The truth is he has tried to close borders with Muslim-majority countries, he is caging small Mexican children, he has grabbed women and boasted about it," she said.

"He is a sexual predator, he is a racist and it's right to say that - we need to think about when is it our country got so scared?"

She continued: "When you have a close friend and they're going wrong, you are more likely to be adamant with them and clearer with them than someone who has not been as close a friend and someone you are trying to build a relationship up with."

The Labour MP added that Mr Trump needed to be stood up to "like the way you deal with a bully" because "if you bow down in from them you just get kicked harder".