Brexit: Labour heading for bust-up as top party figures demand Jeremy Corbyn secure referendum in talks with Theresa May

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Labour’s democratically established policy, passed at party conference in September 2018, is to oppose a Brexit deal which does not meet Labour’s six tests and put any deal that does to a public vote. “It would be untenable for Labour not to insist on a public vote on a deal which did not meet these tests.” In the final line the MPs say: “We – your supporters – urge you to make a confirmatory public vote your bottom line in negotiations with Theresa May and to fight to bring this government down.” Theresa May says UK will seek 'short extension' as she reaches out to Corbyn for new deal On 27 March when the Commons voted on a series of different Brexit outcomes, the plan for a confirmatory referendum won the largest amount of support – with 198 Labour MPs backing it. Party members would go spare.” In a letter received by MPs on Wednesday, Ms Thornberry, who was meant to attend the meeting with Ms May, said: “What I would have said is that if we look like reaching any other decision than confirmatory vote, that would be in breach of the decision made unanimously by conference.” Unison, which handed Labour £1.1m last year, also piled on the pressure by backing a call to put any plan agreed by parliament back to the British public. Speaking after prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Mr Corbyn’s spokesman was asked whether a new vote would be one of his demands and answered that Labour’s position was to call for a new public vote only to stop a “damaging Tory Brexit” or a no-deal situation.