Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson is to make another push to commit the party to campaigning for a Final Say referendum and a Remain vote when the shadow cabinet meets to discuss its Brexit strategy on Wednesday.

Mr Watson is urging leader Jeremy Corbyn to call an emergency ballot or special conference to formally switch Labour’s policy before the summer, warning that it will be “too late” to stop a no-deal outcome if the party waits until its annual conference in Brighton in September.

But supporters of a People’s Vote fear the issue will be kicked into the long grass again at Wednesday’s meeting in Westminster, which was postponed from Monday after a number of shadow cabinet ministers were unable to attend.

Invitation letters sent out to shadow cabinet members said that the meeting had been “scheduled to help inform the ongoing frontbench approach to Brexit, whilst remaining in the framework of existing Labour Party policy as established by party members at annual conference”.

Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage has spent his political career campaigning for the UK to leave the EU. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson's support for Brexit took many by surprise before the EU referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to agree on a withdrawal deal. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises This was taken from a 2012 speech delivered by Mr Davis. He does not currently support a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson now supports a hard Brexit and resigned from the cabinet in 2018 over Theresa May's strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The US recently issued trade negotiation objectives for future talks with the UK. The country made clear that it expects access to the UK's agriculture industry, reviving the debate about chlorinated chicken. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage does not support the current campaign for a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Despite this quote, in February 2019 Boris Johnson said a no deal Brexit "may yet be the best option for the UK". Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to begin negotiating a deal regarding their future relationship. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May announced that the UK would be leaving the Single Market in her Lancaster House speech in January 2017. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is yet to be passed. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises A classic from the 2015 general election campaign. David Cameron resigned on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum result. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises David Davis resigned from his post as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after disagreeing with Theresa May's negotiation strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Michael Gove was one of the most influential Leave voices during the EU referendum campaign. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backbencher, does not support a second Brexit referendum. He has called the use of this quote "fundamentally dishonest" as it was taken from a 2011 speech discussing the option of referendum before David Cameron entered negotiations with the EU. Such a vote was never held. Twitter/Led By Donkeys

The invitation to the cancelled meeting made no mention of remaining within the existing policy, which makes a general election and the delivery of Labour’s “jobs-first Brexit” the preferred option over a fresh referendum.

Campaigners’ hopes that a paper recommending a new position would be presented to the meeting at Westminster were played down by sources with knowledge of the agenda.

In an impassioned speech on Monday, Mr Watson called for the party to throw its weight whole-heartedly behind the campaign for a second referendum, arguing the party should be “loud and proud” in its support for remaining in the EU.

Mr Corbyn came under fire from backbench MPs at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) last week over his refusal to change course in the wake of the party’s disastrous third place in the European elections.

After the debacle in May, when Labour took just 14 per cent of the vote, he told MPs he was “ready to support a public vote on any deal”. But he later made clear this could mean a general election or referendum, and he has not committed the party to supporting Remain in any vote.

Close allies including chairman Ian Lavery believe Labour risks losing millions of votes from working-class Leave voters in the Midlands and North if it moves to back Remain. Mr Lavery tweeted after the deputy leader’s speech: “Ignoring the 17.4 million Leave voters isn’t politically smart nor indeed particularly democratic. Is it?”

A source close to Mr Watson said he believes a change of position must be agreed by the start of the summer. “The majority of Labour MPs want a change of position and they want it soon,” said the source. “They feel that the summer is a chance to go out and make the positive case for a people’s vote and Remain.