Labour’s Brexit spokesman has suggested Theresa May could still end parliamentary deadlock by including a “confirmatory” public vote as part of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said he was doubtful a third attempt to get the WAB through parliament would succeed.

He told Sky News: “We’ve had two years of people saying this is the sort of deal I desire.

“It’s the numbers that matter and so whatever it is it’s got to be something that gets through parliament and there an increasing number of people now who want to see a confirmatory vote to break the impasse.

“We said clearly there [party manifesto] that if we couldn’t get changes to the deal, and couldn’t get a general election, then we support the option of a public vote, and Jeremy Corbyn has said in terms that if the prime minister is confident that she’s got the right deal for the economy and communities she shouldn’t be afraid of putting that to the public.”

It comes after a cabinet minister warned Mrs May must not risk calling a general election until Britain has exited the EU.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed an early election could hand the keys of No 10 to Jeremy Corbyn, and risk “killing Brexit altogether”.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hancock said: “I think a general election before we’ve delivered Brexit would be a disaster.

“People don’t want it. We need to take responsibility for delivering on the referendum result.

“Who knows what the outcome of a general election would be under these circumstances? A general election before that not only risks Jeremy Corbyn, but it risks killing Brexit altogether.”

Mrs May is set to make a final attempt to get her Brexit deal through parliament when she introduces the WAB in the first full week of June.

But following the collapse of cross-party talks with Labour on Friday, her chances of success seem remote.

The PM has also agreed to meet the chairman of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, following the second reading vote to agree at timetable for the election of her successor.

Boris Johnson has emerged as the overwhelming favourite among Tory activists to succeed Mrs May.

The former foreign secretary, already odds-on favourite with bookmakers, has a massive lead over his nearest rival, fellow Brexiteer Dominic Raab.

Of the others, Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Environment Secretary Michael Gove, were both on 9%, with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on 8%.

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