Andy Burnham today hit out at 'arrogant' campaigners who are demanding a second Brexit referendum - warning they risk fuelling anger and division.

The Labour Manchester mayor said the call 'further inflames' resentment among voters who already think London-based MPs fail to listen to them.

And Barry Gardiner, Labour's shadow international trade secretary, also said that demanding a second referendum would be 'dangerous'.

Their warnings comes as efforts are being stepped up to try force Labour to change its policy and back a second referendum at its conference next month.

The People's Vote campaign is working with MPs and activists to submit a motion to change policy so Labour backs a vote on the final Brexit deal.

Andy Burnham (pictured left at Labour Party conference in Liverpool in 2016) and Barry Gardiner (pictured right at the 2016 conference) have both warned that a second EU referendum would only exacerbate the gaping divisions in the UK

But Mr Burnham, a former Labour leadership candidate who was an MP until 2017, poured scorn on the bid.

In an interview with the Politico website, he said: 'My frustration with those leaping to a second referendum is it further inflames this idea of an arrogant political class, which isn't listening and isn't dealing with the issues that gave rise to the referendum in the first place.

'I've still been of the view that what we need is the most pragmatic, practical, bridge-building Brexit.'

Mr Burnham said the danger of a no deal Brexit could be disastrous for Manchester, which sends 58 per cent of its exports to the EU.

And he hit out at ministers for not giving him details about the risks of a no deal Brexit for his area.

He said: 'I know they have done impact assessments on Greater Manchester and the north west.

'They know what no-deal or other options would do to us — and they won't share it with us.

'They are pushing us ever closer to this cliff edge, but they won't tell us what it means for us so we can begin to mitigate those issues.

'Because it's potentially embarrassing, politically awkward, I don't know. But that's not good enough. This is a reality we have to prepare for.

'And so it really brings home to you the dysfunctional nature of British politics. The pettiness of Westminster is holding the country to ransom.'

The mayor said his region sends 58 per cent of its exports to the EU - far higher than the 44 per cent the UK sends.

He added: 'So yeah, it would hit us harder. And the idea we are going closer and closer to this cliff edge is pretty terrifying from where I sit.'

And Mr Gardiner also warned that demanding a second referendum would be 'dangerous'.

He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour last night: 'We have in my party said no option should taken off the table.

'I think there are very good reasons why it is a dangerous thing to do. We've seen the referendum create huge divides — real, crunching divides — in our country.

'I think a second referendum will not heal those divides. I think it can only exacerbate them.'

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the Edinburgh International Television Festival last week) is facing an attempt by anti-Brexit campaigners to force a change in his party's policy at their conference next month so that Labour backs a second referendum

Meanwhile, in a leaked memo seen by MailOnline, the People's Vote campaign details plans to try to push through a motion at Labour conference to get the party to change its policy and back the vote.

In an internal email, campaign bosses stressed that they do not want their efforts to be seen as part of a bid to set up a new centrist party.

It states: 'We have had extensive discussions among key Labour people in the campaign and agreed it would be sensible to write and publish our own draft resolution for conference.

'But, in doing so, it is vital we do not allow this to become part of the more general debate about Labour.

'Not for nothing has much of the talk about the People’s Vote being some kind of nascent party come from those most critical of what we are trying to achieve in fighting for a referendum on the final deal.'