Jeremy Corbyn has said the Labour Party does not back a second referendum - despite growing calls for a re-run of the Brexit vote.

But he said there would 'obviously' have to be a Customs Union with the EU, seeming to settle a thorny issue within the Labour party.

It comes after former Ukip leader Nigel Farage unexpectedly backed a re-run of the vote saying it would "kill it off for a generation" because the Leave vote would be so great.

But an exclusive poll for the Mirror last week directly contradicted Mr Farage's opinion showing significant shift in opinion against Brexit.

The ComRes survey shows that if there were a second referendum, 55% would vote to remain in the EU and 45% to leave.

Meanwhile Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, suggested that there could be a second EU referendum if 90% of the public give their support to staying in.

Appearing on Peston on Sunday on ITV1, Mr Corbyn was asked repeatedly on his views on a second EU referendum .

Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of being a 'reluctant remainer' (
Image:
Manchester Evening News)

He said: "We are not supporting or calling for a second referendum.

"What we've called for is a meaningful vote in Parliament." Asked whether he was ruling out a second referendum in future, Mr Corbyn said: "We are not calling for one either".

He said that Britain would have to be the member of a Customs Union after Brexit .

On the single market Mr Corbyn said: "There will have to be a Customs Union with the European Union, obviously.

Jeremy Corbyn said that Britain would have to be part of the Customs Union after Brexit (
Image:
ITV)

"If you're in a trading relationship you can't at the same time be putting tariffs on goods.

"I think there also needs to be a look at some aspects of the current Customs Union and the way it is tariff heavy against some poorer countries."

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Labour peer and Remain campaigner Lord Adonis, who was also on the programme, said of Mr Corbyn's comments: "He is at the moment not committing to a referendum but he very carefully did not rule one out for the future."

Earlier the shadow foreign secretary had said that if there was a 90% support for Remain among the general public then that would be a "challenge" for democrats.

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Ms Thornberry earlier told the Andrew Marr show on BBC One: "We need to have a meaningful vote in Parliament and that is what we finally wrung out of this Government...those who represent this country in Parliament must have a vote on the divorce and if it's the wrong thing the Government should go back and renegotiate," she said.

"As for a second referendum, the question is are you talking about the divorce or the final relationship, because the final relationship will be agreed in many years' time.

"In either case, if 90% of the population was now saying we should stay in the EU and we must not leave, then that would be a challenge that would be there for all of us who are democrats.

"But at the moment, and as things currently stand, we proceed in good faith, we do as we are instructed. We are leaving the EU but we have to keep this government honest and we have to make sure that when we do leave we are making decisions which actually look after our country first and foremost, which means looking after the jobs of our kids."