A second referendum “undermines trust in democracy” Barry Gardiner has said, even though supporting one is now Labour Party policy.
The shadow international trade secretary said that while another public vote would be “divisive” it was now the “only way” to stop a no-deal Brexit.
Labour will push for a vote on calling a second referendum as soon as Theresa May brings her Brexit deal back to the Commons.
The prime minister has pledged to ask MPs to support her revised agreement by March 12.
The Guardian reports Jeremy Corbyn might allow May’s Brexit deal to pass on the understanding that parliament “withholds support” until it has been put to a referendum.
The UK is due to leave the EU at the end of this month. But May this week offered MPs the chance to vote to seek an extension to Article 50 to delay its departure if her deal is defeated and a no-deal Brexit is rejected.
Speaking to BBC Question Time on Thursday evening, Gardiner said: “If we do end up with a second referendum, I still believe that that does undermine trust in democracy in this country.
“But what we’ve always said is that we will try anything we can. We’ve put forward our own suggestions, it’s always been the programme that we would judge her deal, whatever it was, when she brought it back, if we found that wanting, we would then put forward our own suggestion, if that didn’t get through we would call for a general election, if that didn’t get through then what we would do is we would do anything to stop a no deal, including a second referendum.
“I’ve always been clear that I think it is divisive, I think it does undermine trust, but I now believe it is the only way that we have to stop no deal.”
May was dealt a blow yesterday when Leave-backing agriculture minister George Eustice quit the government in protest at the PM’s move to allow Brexit to be delayed.
He said Mrs May had undertaken a series of “undignified retreats” on Brexit and warned that prolonging the two-year Article 50 negotiation process could result in “the final humiliation of our country”.