Jeremy Corbyn declines to rule out stopping Brexit, as shadow frontbencher says Remain forces are 'anti-democratic'

Jeremy Corbyn repeatedly declined to rule out stopping Brexit, as a senior Labour front bencher said not leaving the European Union would be “anti-democratic”.

Asked three times if “Brexit happen on March 29”, the Labour leader said: “At the moment it looks like it.”

He added that Labour “will challenge this Government” with its six Brexit tests “If they don't meet them, then we will vote against them,” Mr Corbyn told Sky news.

"The Government will then have to go back to the European Union and continue negotiations, or they might choose to resign and have a general election so the people of this country can decide who they want to conduct these negotiations."

Asked whether Article 50 will have to be extended, Mr Corbyn said: “That is not in our hands. Article 50 can only be extended by the agreement of the entirety of the European Union."

Mr Corbyn said he expects the motion to keep the option of a second referendum open to be “carried by a very large majority” by Labour delegates in their Tuesday afternoon vote.

While he did not directly challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s words that “no one is ruling out the option of Remain”, Mr Corbyn also stressed this is not party policy.

"A speech isn't policy, a speech is a speech,” Mr Corbyn told ITV news. “Policy is the motion which is carried and the motion says we will hold the Government to account against the six tests."

Mr Corbyn also declined to rule out voting for Remain if that option was on a second referendum.

The shadow Brexit Secretary had used his conference speech to stress that remaining in the EU must be an option on the ballot paper in any new referendum.

Sir Keir got a standing ovation from activists as he veered away from his planned speech to say staying in the EU could not be ruled out.

“It's 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,” Sir Keir said.

Campaigners for a second referendum claimed a “victory” soon after his speech.

However Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, said keeping the UK in the EU would be "deeply anti-democratic".

Speaking at a fringe event at conference, she said: "We had a referendum...I went up and down the country and I said to people, this is really serious, you have to make a decision and we will abide by the decision you make. We said that, we said that solemnly, and we stick to it.

"People have heard Remainers saying, 'We’re only leaving the European Union because the public is stupid, they’re racist, because they’ve been lied to'.

"They think, ‘They’re talking about me, I’m none of those things. I voted to leave because I want to leave the European Union and I want to get on with it.’"

Meanwhile, Ms Thornberry said Labour should seek to delay Brexit by extending the Article 50 period, if it wins power in a snap general election.

The shadow foreign secretary also said the UK could not leave the EU “in current circumstances”.

“In our manifesto we should say we will abide by the result of the referendum, we cannot obviously leave in current circumstances, we need to extend Article 50 and - let me preempt your next question - I don’t know how long that would take,” she said, appearing at a conference fringe meeting.