Jeremy Corbyn today appeared to confirm Labour would need to delay the date of Brexit if it takes power in a snap election.

In a major speech, the Labour leader said there would "need to be time" to negotiate his "practical and achievable" alternative with the EU as his party would be "right up against the clock".

He also conceded the party’s current policy on Brexit could change ahead of such a public vote.

The party leader made the comments as he demanded a general election to "bring Leave and Remain voters together to rebuild Britain".

He told an audience in Wakefield both sides have rising debts, insecure work and food banks adding: "You’re up against it. But you’re not against each other."

But he did not commit to forcing an "immediate" no confidence vote if Theresa May’s Brexit deal is voted down on Tuesday.

And even if he did, it’s thought the earliest possible date for a general election would be March 7 – three weeks before Brexit Day.

Yesterday Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said extending the date, set by Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, may be "inevitable".

And today Mr Corbyn confirmed: "Quite clearly moving into office, a period right up against the clock, there would need to be time for that negotiation.

"So what Keir was doing was reflecting the practicalities of how that negotiation would be undertaken."

Article 50 can only be extended if the EU gives its permission.

Today Mr Corbyn said Labour would use a new left-wing mandate after a general election to negotiate a better deal.

But he also conceded that the party’s policy – which is to pursue Brexit, and only keep a second EU referendum as one "option on the table" – could change in a general election manifesto, because manifestos are made by members and not just him.

He said: "Our policy would be to negotiate urgently with the EU as and when we take office.

"But clearly a general election must come first in order to do that.

"Policy-making is made by the Labour Party in a democratic form and that policy will be put together and put into a manifesto in any election that’s coming up."

A general election will be triggered automatically 14 days after the Tory government loses a vote of no confidence.

But in order to win that vote, Mr Corbyn would need the unlikely backing of Theresa May’s allies, the DUP.

Allies claimed yesterday a vote would be forced "immediately".

But today Mr Corbyn said if Mrs May is defeated and refuses to call a general election, "Labour will table a motion of no confidence in the government at the moment we judge it to have the best chance of success.

"Clearly, Labour does not have enough MPs at the moment in parliament to win a confidence vote on its own.

"So members across the House should vote with us to break the deadlock."

In his speech Mr Corbyn blasted Theresa May for following Tory dreams of "a sweetheart trade deal with Donald Trump which could deliver chlorinated chicken to our dinner tables and open up our NHS to giant profit-seeking American healthcare corporations."

He added people were "genuinely scared" by the idea of No Deal, which Labour opposes.

And he attacked Theresa May’s olive branch to Labour MPs, an offer to safeguard workers’ rights, saying unions had "clearly and emphatically rejected" it.

But he also reached out to leave voters.

He said: "Any political leader who wants to bring the country together cannot wish away the votes of 17 million people who wanted to leave, any more than they can ignore the concerns of the 16 million who voted to remain."

He added: "Some see the EU as a defence against insecurity and hostility.

"Others see the EU as part of an establishment that plunged them into insecurity and hostility in the first place."

And Mr Corbyn again shot down calls to make a second EU referendum the party’s priority.

He said: "If a general election cannot be secured, and we’ll try, then we will keep all options on the table, including the option of campaigning for a public vote.

"But an election must be and is the priority".

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