The Labour Party has no idea whether it wants a second EU referendum

Jeremy Corbyn has contradicted statements made by Sadiq Khan about his party offering a second referendum on the Brexit deal, after the London Mayor suggested it was ‘possible’ it could be included in the next Labour manifesto.

In comments which may dismay Labour supporters of EU membership, the party leader said that he saw “positives” in Brexit.

In a round of TV interviews at Labour’s annual conference in Brighton, Mr Corbyn dismissed as “nonsense” the suggestion that he had tried to quash debate of Brexit, pointing to Monday’s vote in favour of a statement setting out the party’s position on EU withdrawal.

Mr Khan earlier told the Evening Standard another national vote was “possible” and that he would push for it to be included in Labour’s next manifesto.

“I’d have my tuppence worth as Mayor of London,” he said. “I so far have not been persuaded how this Government has a plan that works for our country.”

But Mr Corbyn stressed that Labour had always made clear it accepted and respected the result of last year’s referendum to leave the EU.

He said: “We are not planning any referendum. Sadiq is obviously thinking through all scenarios and possibilities.

“He represents a city which overwhelmingly voted for Remain. As you know, the referendum result across the country was a majority to leave.”

The comments follow heightened speculation that senior members within the Labour Party are taking an increasingly anti-Brexit stance.

Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary, also stirred the pot, saying: “Who knows where we will be at the end of this process, at March 2019?

“Certainly Parliament, at the very least, wants to have that final say over what deal Theresa May comes back with.”

Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has also backed a public vote on the final Brexit deal.

The MSP said people should be given a final say if the terms of leaving the European Union do not include single market membership.

Ms Dugdale, who quit as leader last month, said Labour should be fighting harder to keep the UK in the trading bloc, adding that she was “embarrassed by the complete paucity of my party to say and do the right thing”.

Writing in her column for the Daily Record newspaper, she said: “I’m fraught with anger and frustration about Brexit.

“I blame David Cameron for calling a referendum no one wanted in the first place but I also blame my party, the Labour Party, for a totally lazy and lacklustre Remain campaign that got us here.

“And yes, I blame Jeremy Corbyn too for failing to use the power of his popular appeal to convince traditional Labour voters to see that Europe creates more good than harm.

“Not only that, now the country has spoken, I’m embarrassed by the complete paucity of my party to say and do the right thing no matter how hard or unpopular that might be at first.”

Jeremy Corbyn’s party has faced criticism for its sparse treatment of the issue of Brexit at the 2017 Labour Party Conference.

Members debated the issue in Brighton, but it was not chosen as one of eight policy motions to be given full debate.

At the conference, shadow Brexit minister Kier Starmer that continued membership of the customs union and single market should not be “swept off the table”.