The triumphant Brexit Secretary, who this week played a leading role in ensuring that Theresa May ditched a plan for a customs partnership, told MPs that Britain will take back full control of its trade policy.

During Brexit departmental questions in the Commons, Tory former minister Sir Desmond Swayne asked: "With what level of confidence does he estimate the probability of our leaving the customs union on December 31 2020?"

Mr Davis responded: "Will 100 per cent do? The issue of leaving the customs union plays directly to the issue of how we manage our future export and trade arrangements.

"At the moment almost 60% of our exports are now going to the rest of the world, this is not surprising because both the IMF and the European Commission itself has said that the vast majority of growth in world trade will come from outside the European Union.