According to the minutes, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, “emphasised the importance for himself personally of being able to negotiate with a stable, accountable and authorised interlocutor who was available for the negotiations”.

The minutes state that Mr Juncker, the president of the European Commission, “expressed his concern about the question of the stability and accountability of the UK negotiator and his apparent lack of involvement, which risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations.”

Mr Davis, the British Brexit Secretary, faced accusations of being underprepared for the talks, which were strongly denied by the UK team, after leaving Brussels shortly after beginning the second round of negotiations.