MP for Leigh Andy Burnham has reiterated his view that the UK should remain as part of the European Union in a meeting of business and civic leaders.

The shadow home secretary argued during a tour of Londoneast-uk Business and Technical Park's new facility in Dagenham on Thursday that 'the British economy faces a decade of uncertainty and the UK risks being torn apart if voters support an exit from the EU' in the June 23 referendum.

He said: “If we wake up on Friday, June 24, with the news that Britain has voted to turn its back on its partners in Europe, immediately you will feel the uncertainty. It will be there.

“If we vote to leave it won’t just be Europe that starts to fragment, and it will because we won’t be the only ones. Others will start to go down the same path.

“I think it will lead to the break-up of Britain as well, because if a majority of people in England carry Scotland out of the European Union I think as night follows day we will be looking at a second independence referendum in Scotland within a matter of months or years.

"The result of that referendum, I believe, will then be different and Scotland will vote to leave the UK.

“Yes there are real concerns there, but don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

“Don’t let those concerns about immigration take your view away from the bigger picture of what being part of the largest and successful market in the world means for our job prospects and for our economy.”