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Jacob Rees-Mogg called on believers to back his hard Brexit blueprint this morning - but it will require an extraordinary leap of faith.

As Mogg introduced the Economists for Free Trade (EFT) report, which explains why a no-deal will almost certainly transform Britain into Paradise, I found myself reminded of Sundays spent in chilly Catholic churches as a youngster.

The Right Reverend Rees Mogg gave a fiery sermon, calling for those present to believe a no-deal Brexit will send forth a more prosperous Britain.

He poured scorn on the dark, diabolical visions of the future proposed by the Treasury.

Instead, he called for the congregation to rejoice in the coming of the glory of the World Trade Organisation.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

After months of preaching that economic forecasting was nothing but hokum, Mogg asked us to believe that in 15 years our new buccaneering sovereign nation will be a trillion pounds better off.

Or, at least, something in that “direction.”

The true disciples were all present, their heads bowed in what I can only assume was prayer, not despair.

Boris Johnson, Peter Bone, Iain Duncan Smith, David Davis - basically every Tory who has ever been in the least bit awkward about Brexit, and who will almost certainly be running the country again in six months’ time - were seated in prominent pews.

They joined in with the hymns - including Songs of Praise-worthy renditions of 'Dear Lord and Father of Manufacturing' and 'What a Friend We Have In Nigel', and muttering the odd amen.

We were even handed a prayer book as we filed in - a handy pocket-sized guide to the plan, and the call-and-response liturgy to follow.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

The EFT report is hard Brexit’s profession of faith. It may as well start with "we believe in clean Brexit…”

And the prayer book arms the devout with the answers they need to awkward agnostic questions.

If you think I’m exaggerating, here’s a few of the questions and their complete answers. In full.

Q18: Wouldn’t Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the UK inevitably fall?

A: No.



Q19: Wouldn’t opening the UK up to global competition spell disaster for British manufacturing?

A: No, quite the opposite.



Q23: But won’t we be the economic losers relative to the EU?

A: No, to the contrary.

Glad we got all that sorted out.

The full-sized accompanying document proceeds to claim no-deal will cause the value of the pound to both go up and down, and that both will be super great for the economy.

But as for the big question - what in God’s name are we going to do about Northern Ireland - we’re told that is a question for a different day.

Perhaps next Sunday.