Brexit minister says civil servants may be distorting evidence to keep UK in EU customs union

Civil servants may be secretly distorting evidence to “influence” the Government to stay in the EU’s customs union, a Brexit minister has suggested. Steve Baker floated the extraordinary conspiracy claim on the floor of the House of Commons, telling MPs he did not necessarily believe it – but did not rule it out.

“I think it would be quite extraordinary if it turned out that such a thing had happened,” the hard Brexit supporter said.Meanwhile, the think-tank head who spoke with Mr Baker - Charles Grant, of the Centre for European Reform – flatly denied he had made any allegation about a civil service conspiracy.