The altercation occurred this morning on TalkRADIO. Veteran radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer said to the second referendum campaigner: “You said yesterday that the great majority of people want a second referendum. Where have you found that in a poll?”

After a brief silence, the Labour peer began: “Er… repeated polls have shown that.”

But Ms Hartley-Brewer was unequivocal in her response: “No, they haven’t.

“And Professor John Curtis has debunked that and said that’s simply not a fair reading of the polling.”

But Lord Adonis wasn’t ready to back down, firing back: “No, it is substantially more than half of the electorate, when asked repeatedly, who want a second referendum with an option to remain.”

But the Talkradio host inquired: “If all the options are put in front of them?”

Lord Adonis stuttered before changing tack: “Well it’s true that people who want Brexit are divided – some of them want Theresa May’s deal and some of them want no deal.

“The Leave vote does break down into two very different groups.

“That’s absolutely true. But what they all show is that once you take account of all the options, the single most popular option by far is to remain in the EU.

“And that’s what I think we should do.”

Ms Hartley-Brewer remained thoroughly unconvinced, blasting: “Again, the polling, I have to say, and pollsters have been quite clear about this – this is not my personal opinion – the polling simply does not bear out that statement.”

Meanwhile, former Brexit Secretary David Davis has said Prime Minister Theresa May should abandon cross-party Brexit talks.

He said: “I don’t think the talks will go anywhere except to embarrass us and actually undermine her negotiating position with the Europeans.

“If we start talking to Labour and Labour start talking to Brussels, we would be undermined from both ends.

“It is plain that her proposals are not going to get through the House of Commons anyway, so I am afraid it is going to be her successor who decides it.”

As a breakthrough to try to find an agreement which could get a majority in Parliament is still being sought, Mr Davis said he was opposed to a deal involving the customs union and also the idea of a second referendum.

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