Labour conference backs motion on holding second EU referendum

The little-noticed motion is unlikely to change party policy on the issue, however

The Labour conference avoided a full formal debate on Brexit (Getty)

The Labour party conference has backed a motion that could potentially open the door to the party supporting a second EU referendum.

The little-noticed motion is at odds with the views of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has said the result of the 23 June vote must be respected.

Though Labour members avoided a formal debate on Brexit at the conference, instead prioritising other issues, one passage in Monday’s economy debate said the “final settlement” could be put to popular vote.

“[Conference] recognises that many of those who voted to leave the EU were expressing dissatisfaction with EU or national policy and were voting for change, but believes that unless the final settlement proves to be acceptable then the option of retaining EU membership should be retained,” the motion says.

“The final settlement should therefore be subject to approval, through Parliament and potentially through a general election or a referendum.”

The motion, proposed by the TSSA railways union, does not mean a second EU referendum is Labour policy – as proposed by leadership candidate Owen Smith.

Instead, the motion will be taken to the party’s policy forum, which will consider it alongside other factors when deciding what the party’s official EU policy is.

In practice Mr Corbyn’s renewed mandate this summer on the basis of accepting the EU referendum result – and the low-profile way in which the motion was considered – means Labour is unlikely to back a second referendum.

The policy forum will likely point out that the motion also says Parliament could be given a vote on triggering Article 50, or that the decision could be cemented by a general election result.

Most voters do not back a second EU referendum, according to polling conducted by ComRes for The Independent in July this year.

The pollsters found that a second vote was rejected by 57 per cent of the public and supported by only 29 per cent.