Labour’s Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer has said his party's new approach to a fresh referendum does not rule out an option to stay in the EU.

Sir Keir told The Independent the motion agreed with delegates that will be voted on Tuesday, could allow a new referendum with ‘Remain’ on the ballot paper.

The comments fly in the face of others made by shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Unite leader Len McCluskey who had said they believed the best approach to any new referendum would exclude an option to remain in the bloc.

The Independent has launched the Final Say campaign to secure a People’s Vote referendum on whatever the outcome of Brexit might be, with more than 820,000 having signed the petition so far.

Sir Keir’s words will be a boost to Remainers in his party who had complained after Mr McDonnell set out his views ahead of his big speech at the conference in Liverpool.

On Sunday Labour delegates agreed a motion that, if passed by the conference, would mean that Labour “must support all options remaining on the table including campaigning for a public vote”.

Sir Keir told The Independent: “The idea is to retain flexibility, the motion doesn’t rule out remain, it doesn’t tie us to any position on what should be in any future vote.”

John McDonnell: Labour's new Brexit referendum would not offer option to remain in EU

The shadow cabinet minister, apparently reacting to anger in the wake of Mr McDonnell’s words, made similar comments to delegates at a fringe meeting on Monday.

People’s Vote supporters had condemned Mr McDonnell’s suggestion that a new referendum should exclude a Remain option as “farcical”.

David Lammy, a supporter of the People’s Vote campaign, said: “Labour members support a People’s Vote by almost nine to one – 90 per cent of Labour members want to stay in the EU

“They did not do this to be offered a farcical referendum on no deal or a bad deal. It absolutely must include the right to stay in the EU.”

Chris Leslie, another leading pro-EU Labour figure, told The Independent: “Denying the public the right to stay in the EU – if the face of recent evidence of Brexit job losses and falling living standards – would make a mockery of the wishes of 90 per cent of Labour supporters. This nonsense is unsustainable.”

Len McCluskey says second EU referendum should not inclide remain option

A third, Mike Gapes, tweeted: “McDonnell does not speak for me” – insisting they had to be “a meaningful people’s vote with the choice between the deal, or no deal and to remain in the EU”.

In an interview on Monday morning, Mr McDonnell said Labour would “go for a People’s Vote” on leaving the EU if it cannot push the government into calling a general election, but any vote would only be on the terms of the deal.

His words echoed others from Mr McCluskey the day before, who said: ““The referendum shouldn’t be on, ‘Do you want to go back in the European Union’.

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Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in London on Saturday calling for a second vote on Britain's departure from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images NIKLAS HALLE'N AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal A woman holds a placard as she joins EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participating in the 'People's Vote' march in central London, Britain June 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls HENRY NICHOLLS Reuters People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06833888 Pro-EU demonstrators take part in a People's March anti-Brexit rally in Parliament Square in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06833892 A pro-EU demonstrator waves a European Flag during a People's March anti-Brexit rally in Parliament Square in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators carry banners and flags as they participate in the People's March demanding a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on June 23, 2018, the second anniversary of the 2016 referendum. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in London on Saturday calling for a second vote on Britain's departure from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images NIKLAS HALLE'N AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06833960 Tens of thousands of people march through London during a People's March anti-Brexit demonstration in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable speaks during the People's March demanding a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on June 23, 2018, the second anniversary of the 2016 referendum. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in London on Saturday calling for a second vote on Britain's departure from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images NIKLAS HALLE'N AFP/Getty People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06833964 A young pro-EU demonstrator takes part in a People's March anti-Brexit rally in Parliament Square in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06834044 Tens of thousands of people march through London during a People's March anti-Brexit demonstration, in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06833264 Thousands of people march through London during a People's March anti Brexit demonstration in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal epa06833265 Thousands of people march through London during a People's March anti Brexit demonstration in London, Britain, 23 June 2018. Protesters are calling for a referendum on the final deal. The protest is taking place on the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds taking part in the People's Vote march for a second EU referendum at Trafalgar Square in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday June 23, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators gather prior to the start of the People's March demanding a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on June 23, 2018, on the second anniversary of the 2016 referendum. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images NIKLAS HALLE'N AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall in central London, during the People's Vote march for a second EU referendum. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday June 23, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march in central London, Britain June 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls HENRY NICHOLLS Reuters People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march – demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS

“The people have already decided on that. We very rarely have referendums in this country, the people have decided against my wishes and my union’s wishes, but they have decided.

“So if the parliamentarians, if spineless Tory MPs, lose the courage of their convictions and won’t vote against whatever deal comes back, then my union and Labour’s policy at the moment is to say, ‘Well, if you are incapable of carrying out your functions in parliament, we should take the deal back to the people.”