Brexit: Second referendum vote 'very likely', Philip Hammond says

But the chancellor also stresses the government is still opposed to a fresh public vote

A second referendum on Brexit is “very likely” to be put before parliament, Philip Hammond has said.

Speaking in Washington on Friday, the chancellor said a fresh public vote was a “proposition that could and, on all the evidence, is very likely to be put to parliament at some stage”.

However, he also said about six months would be needed to hold a referendum, and that there would not be enough time before Britain is due to leave the EU on the new deadline of 31 October.

Mr Hammond also stressed that the government was still opposed to a second referendum, although he said other Labour demands – such as a customs union with the EU – were up for debate.

“The government’s position has not changed,” he said. “The government is opposed to a confirmatory referendum and therefore we would not be supporting it.”

The idea of a new referendum was among several Brexit alternatives to Theresa May’s deal that were put to lawmakers in the last month – but which all fell short of a majority in parliament.

The prime minister has so far failed to get her own party behind the Brexit divorce deal she agreed with other European Union leaders last year. She was forced to ask the bloc for a delay and to start talks with Labour about how to break the impasse in parliament.

Many Labour lawmakers have been putting pressure on their leader Jeremy Corbyn to include a new referendum in his demands in talks with the government.

Meanwhile, Mr Hammond has faced criticism from Brexit supporters for saying Britain should stay close to the bloc.

He also angered some recently by describing another Brexit referendum as a “perfectly credible proposition”.

“[A second referendum] in the end is an issue about parliament and parliamentary numbers, and where the Labour Party ends up on this,” he said.

Mr Hammond said he expected the government and Labour would strike a deal in the next couple of months.