Labour's deputy leader has walked out of a crunch meeting amid a row over Brexit .

Tom Watson left this morning's Shadow Cabinet while it was still ongoing as senior figures split over whether to demand a second referendum.

A source claimed he "stormed out" after Jeremy Corbyn's team refused to hand out hard copies of Labour's draft EU elections manifesto.

Mr Watson admitted he left the meeting but strongly disputed that he "stormed out", saying: "There was no rancour at all. Everyone was calm."

The manifesto – to be agreed at a meeting of Labour's ruling NEC later today – is crucial because it will reveal Labour's policy on a second referendum.

The party is torn between MPs who want any Brexit deal to be put to a "confirmatory" public vote, and allies of Jeremy Corbyn who only want a vote on a "Tory Brexit" or No Deal.

It's thought Jeremy Corbyn's position will win out with the 41-strong NEC, which began meeting at 11am today.

Ahead of the meeting Labour's Shadow Cabinet was due to discuss the document for the elections on May 23.

But a row erupted when Jeremy Corbyn's aides did not hand out hard copies of the manifesto.

It comes two years after the party's manifesto for the snap general election was leaked in its entirety to the Mirror.

There are differing reports as to how the events unfolded.

One source said the document was due to be presented verbally and then was presented on a screen.

But Mr Watson accused rivals of "misleading" the media.

Allies suggested Mr Watson was told directly by a senior aide to Mr Corbyn that the shadow cabinet would not see the document – and the screen was only used after he left.

Labour's deputy leader tweeted: "I politely asked if the shadow cabinet were going to see the draft words and was told 'no'.

"So I left to walk to the NEC where the document will be available and the decision will be made.

"It’s the *actual* events. There was no rancour at all. Everyone was calm.

"There was no screen in the room when I left."

Members of the 41-strong National Executive Committee (NEC) had already clashed in public ahead of today's showdown over a "confirmatory" public vote.

Labour is split at the highest levels on whether to demand a referendum that would "confirm" any Brexit deal – or remain in the EU instead.

A string of shadow ministers want this to be Labour policy and a demand in talks with Theresa May . But others say Labour should only demand a second referendum if it is needed to avoid a damaging Tory Brexit or 'No Deal'.

Now the issue is coming to a head at the NEC, where reps are discussing Labour's manifesto for the EU elections on May 23.

Pro-EU Labour supporters have sent more than 2,000 e-mails to the NEC urging them to include a "confirmatory" vote in the manifesto.

Over the weekend the Unison, GMB and Usdaw unions – who all have NEC reps – demanded the manifesto includes the policy.

Over the weekend, 115 MPs and MEPs signed a letter to NEC members urging them to explicitly back a referendum in the manifesto.  

The People's Vote campaign has piled further pressure on Labour by launching a 'People's Vote Test' website, judging each party by how supportive they are of a second referendum.

And 22 Labour candidates in the European elections pledged to campaign for a referendum and then back efforts to remain in the EU.

But calls for a second referendum are divisive within the top ranks of the Labour movement, with concerns that the party could alienate voters in Leave-supporting heartlands.

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