Every day takes us closer to giving the people the Final Say on Brexit

Gordon Brown becomes the third former prime minister, alongside Tony Blair and Sir John Major, to back the idea of another referendum

The practical steps needed to bring about a new referendum remain contested (PA)

Gordon Brown today lent his support to The Independent’s campaign to give the British people the Final Say on leaving the European Union. Where previously he had predicted there would be a further referendum after the UK had left, he now says: “The situation will have been seen to have changed since 2016 and ... the people should, in the end, have the final say.”

That completes the set of living former prime ministers, with the exception of David Cameron, who gave us the referendum two-and-a-half years ago. Tony Blair and Sir John Major have both said that the question should be taken back to the people to check that the form of Brexit they are being offered – and we still do not know what that is – is really what they want.

Mr Brown adds his experienced voice to those of wise Conservatives, such as Jo Johnson, who resigned as transport minister last week to campaign for a new referendum. And to those of some less wise Conservatives, such as Mr Johnson’s brother, the former foreign secretary, who says that the prime minister’s plan is worse than staying in the EU – in which case Boris Johnson ought to be backing our campaign too.

The voices are also growing among our European partners. Yesterday, Pedro Sanchez, the new Spanish prime minister, said: “If I was Theresa May, I would call a second referendum – no doubt.” If the UK did change its mind about leaving the EU, our European allies would be delighted and would willingly clear any supposed obstacles in our way.

Meanwhile, however, the practical steps needed to bring about a new referendum remain contested. The position of the official opposition is no clearer today than it has been at any time since the day after the 2016 referendum. This morning Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said “Brexit can be stopped”, flatly contradicting Jeremy Corbyn, who said last week: “We can’t stop it.”

It is going to be difficult to obtain a new referendum as the Labour leadership refuses to support it. But we have to hope that, whether Theresa May secures a deal or admits defeat and heads for a no-deal Brexit, the next few days will concentrate Labour minds.

Then there are the procedural questions. A new referendum would require the Brexit date of 29 March to be postponed. It is not clear in law whether the UK can do this unilaterally, and the government appears still to be trying to prevent an appeal to the Court of Justice of the EU in order to decide the point before MPs are asked to consider the nation’s future.

If the UK government could postpone Brexit without seeking the consent of all 27 other member states, it would substantially increase the incentive for MPs to press for an extension to the Article 50 deadline.

Even so, it remains unclear how the House of Commons can assert its will over the government if there is a difference of view. For that reason, Gordon Brown was absolutely right to suggest that the parties should come together to try to work out a consensus. This is an approach that Theresa May should have adopted at the start, and she now risks paying a heavy price for not doing so.

We can only hope that she, too, will realise that giving the people the Final Say over Brexit is the only safe and democratic way forward.