During party leadership hustings in Birmingham last week, Boris Johnson claimed his four-letter intervention had been aimed at “powerful lobby groups” who wanted a particular type of exit, or non-exit, from the EU

Boris Johnson has held clear-the-air talks with Britain’s biggest business lobby group as he attempts to rebuild relations with larger employers.

The former foreign secretary is understood to have set out his “tremendous respect” for the CBI and called it “fantastic” in private talks last week. Mr Johnson, 55, is seeking to patch up relations with corporate Britain as he vies with Jeremy Hunt to succeed Theresa May. Bosses were angered last summer by reports that he had declared “f*** business” when asked about industrial concerns over Brexit.

During a meeting last Wednesday, flanked by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, and Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury, Mr Johnson played down his expletive dismissal as a casual remark. “Boris was quite clear that he’s