Downing Street has denied “rogue” civil servants produced the leaked Brexit analysis due to a Whitehall coup, but refused to reveal who did order the work.
In a briefing with journalists, the Prime Minister’s Deputy Official Spokesman (PMDOS) was repeatedly asked who had commissioned the work which looked at the economic impact of leaving the EU in a range of scenarios – but not the ‘bespoke’ deal the Government is seeking.
At a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday, Theresa May told colleagues the work had not been approved by ministers – leading to confusion over who had ordered the analysis to be carried out.
Brexit Minister Steve Baker told MPs later that day that he and his colleagues had “only just been consulted on the paper in recent days, and we have made it clear that it requires significant further work.”
The PMDOS was asked to clarify who ordered this analysis – which shows the UK would take an economic hit after Brexit in the scenarios considered.
Below is the full exchange with reporters: