Britain's leading business lobby group is trying to heal its divisions with members who quit over its anti-Brexit stance.

Relations between the Confederation of British Industry and Brexit supporters soured in the aftermath of the 2016 referendum, with members such as manufacturing giant JCB quitting the body after it was accused of becoming too aligned with the Remain cause.

However the CBI’s director general, Tony Danker, who took over last November and had voted Remain, told The Sunday Times that he wants Brexiteers to help shape the UK’s economic strategy for growth.

“Any Brexit-supporting business person will surely believe that now is the time that we have left the European Union to build an economic strategy for Britain to win,” he said.

“And I invite all of them to join us in shaping our strategy and in being unbelievably optimistic message carriers.”

His upbeat message comes two years after senior Downing Street staffers accused the group of “emotional sulking” over Brexit.

They argued that the once crucial relationship between the Government and the CBI had become “downright antagonistic”.

In 2015, a speech by then prime minister David Cameron at a CBI dinner was interrupted by pro-Brexit protesters who held up a sign accusing the CBI of being the “voice of Brussels”.

The CBI could face an uphill battle in its effort to win back Brexiteers.

John Longworth, director general of the Centre for Brexit Policy and chairman of the Independent Business Network, argued that the CBI has been “persistently negative on Brexit and the opportunities of Brexit”.

He added that “it will take a major shift in their organisation, civil servant style policymaking and their philosophy to persuade businesses that the leopard has changed its spots”.

Mr Longworth was previously head of another leading business group, the British Chambers of Commerce, but left in the run-up to the referendum.

Another prominent Brexiteer, who asked not to be named, argued that “a leopard doesn’t change its spots, this seems to be lip service”.

They added: “Even though we have fully left the Europen Union, there remain battles ahead, and I just don’t see the CBI piping up and backing Boris in those situations.

“They are still inclined to say, ‘let’s just go along with the EU on this one issue’. So I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Lord Bamford, the boss of manufacturing giant JCB, could not be reached for comment.