Labour conference passes motion saying party 'must' leave door open for new Brexit referendum

Labour has taken a significant step towards backing a public vote on Brexit after its annual conference voted to keep open the option of another referendum.

Delegates at the gathering in Liverpool voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion saying Labour "must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote".

It says that if Theresa May manages to negotiate a Brexit deal with the EU, the government "should not be afraid to put that deal to the public".

The wording of the motion was hammered out by delegates during a tense six-hour meeting on Sunday night.

The resulting text states that Labour should demand a general election if Parliament rejects whatever deal Ms May negotiates with Brussels, or if no deal is agreed. If this is not forthcoming, then the party should consider backing calls for a public vote.

The motion reads: "If we cannot get a general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote.

"If the government is confident in negotiating a deal that working people, our economy and communities will benefit from, they should not be afraid to put that deal to the public."

Speaking in favour of the motion, Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, received a standing ovation when he told the conference hall that remaining in the EU could be an option in any future public vote.

He said: "It is right that Parliament has the first say but, if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option."

However, the prospect of Labour backing another public vote opened up a new split among senior party figures, with Steve Turner, assistant general secretary of the Unite trade union, saying the referendum should only be on the terms of the Brexit deal and should not give the public an opportunity to reverse the result of the 2016 referendum.

He told the conference: "When the Tories return from Brussels with no deal or a deal that fails our tests, that's our moment to demand they step aside, send a broken government back to the country in a general election.

"If the Tory benches aren't brave enough to do that, to stand up to the Johnsons and Moggs, if they fail us, we demand they go back to the people with a vote on the deal.

"That is not a second referendum. Despite what Keir said earlier, it's a public vote on the terms of our departure."

The vote followed two days of confusion over Labour's Brexit position, with senior shadow cabinet ministers contradicting each other over the type of vote Labour could support.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, had initially said another referendum should not include the option of remaining in the EU. He was quickly contradicted by Sir Keir, who insisted that nothing had been ruled out.

And Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, broke ranks to say talk of forcing the government into calling a general election was "Loony Tunes territory".