Corbyn is right to let members vote on a new referendum – it was members who put him in power in the first place

Poor Jezza. The man who swept to victory thanks to the democratic will of the Labour Party may now be wondering whether empowering the membership is always as good in practice as it is in principle.

For more than two years he has walked a tightrope, anxious to respect the outcome of the referendum while fully aware that most Labour members (and a majority of Labour voters – 65 per cent according to YouGov) were EU Remainers. He has, for the most, kept his balance impressively.

All of a sudden, however, the tightrope is wobbling. At Labour’s conference in Liverpool, a motion has been agreed that gives party members the chance to put a second referendum at the heart of Labour’s Brexit policy. And, looking down as he tries his best to keep walking, Corbyn could be in for a tricky ride.

It is, after all, abundantly clear that many of those who voted for Labour at the 2017 general election also voted for Brexit. The party leadership knows there are some who will regard any hint of a second referendum as a gross betrayal.

Perhaps that is why John McDonnell took to the airwaves this morning to hint that any further vote would not include the option to stay in the EU. For Labour Remainers, that may have come as an unwelcome surprise, although such are the tactical nuances of the Brexit debate that McDonnell’s motivation will come under fierce scrutiny. Certainly it has put dogs among the cats among the pigeons.

Ultimately though, Corbyn is right to let party members make the running. For one thing, he has made it a hallmark of his leadership: to change tack now would be a worse act of treachery, leading his supporters to wonder if he is really any different to the rest of the political class.

What’s more, it has also long been a feature of Corbyn’s tenure that critics like to predict his downfall. True, it will happen eventually – it always does you know – but he will surely feel there is a strong chance of sceptical pundits, who contend that reopening the referendum question will destroy Labour’s election chances, being wrong again. Indeed, one poll back in May put Labour support for a final say on Brexit at 69 per cent. Given how things have moved on – or not – in the past four months, that figure seems conservative.

In any event, by backing a further vote on Brexit, Corbyn could continue his high wire act (although whether McDonnell’s intervention is a help or a hindrance remains to be seen). After all, giving the British people a chance to confirm what kind of EU departure they want is, as McDonnell has hinted, not necessarily akin to demanding a reversal of the previous referendum outcome. A decision on which option to back may come further down the line, but that can be for another day – as can be any rowing back on the notion that a second referendum couldn’t have a “remain” alternative.

Most fundamentally though, the reason why Corbyn is right to let Labour members vote on the possibility of a second referendum is that we are in a Brexit mess. The government’s negotiations with Brussels appear to be going nowhere, the Conservatives are fighting among themselves and the longer that confusion reigns, the more likely a messy divorce appears. The truth is, we need to keep all options on the table.

The Brexit process has attracted its fair share of food-based analogies but I trust one more won’t go amiss.

Let’s picture the scene. Nine people go out for dinner. After the main course they agree to vote on whether to have ice cream for pudding. The majority decision will apply to all. In the event, five vote for ice cream, four against. All nine must therefore tuck in, despite some feeling quite sick.

After some grumbling and cross looks, a menu suddenly appears which shows at least two different flavours, vanilla and raspberry – there may be some additional specials but nobody seems quite sure. However, the four who voted against ice cream are told that they have no say in what variety they have: that will be decided by the loudest of the ice cream enthusiasts, who says everyone knew that ice cream meant ice cream.

Some of the other ice cream fans quite fancy raspberry ripple but are told there won’t be another vote because that would undemocratic. One or two might also be regretting their decision to eat more, but they can’t change their minds.

This is the unsatisfactory position we find ourselves in right now when it comes to Brexit. The prime minister last week tried to grasp the nettle when she demanded respect in her slightly cringy TV address – but ended up being stung.

If Labour members vote to turn the prospect of a second referendum into official party policy, they will have shown a degree of decisiveness that Theresa May can only dream of. Jeremy Corbyn should embrace it, and back a final say – with all options open.