The panel of industry leaders set up by Theresa May to “build business confidence” during the Brexit negotiations has not met for five months, The Telegraph has learned.

The Prime Minister’s business advisory council, which Mrs May described as “an important part of our preparations for leaving the EU”, was last convened in October.

Separately, the key Downing Street role responsible for liaising with businesses has also been left unfilled since last summer’s election, leaving what one senior industry figure described as a “black hole at the heart of the administration”.

This newspaper understands that Mrs May’s team had been seeking to appoint a senior business executive as director of government relations but had failed to find a suitable candidate willing to accept the role.

Last night one senior Conservative said although useful engagement work was being carried out by individual departments and Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, it was “ludicrous” that the council last met in October when “the one thing the Government has got to get right is keeping businesses confident.