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It's the day he claimed the Tories would kick off a post-EU cash bonanza.

Instead the Brexit Secretary spent his Big Trade Deal Day "scratching around for ideas" at a Tory work pal's private summit, the Mirror can reveal.

David Davis' quiet trip reveals the gap between his boasts after Britain voted to leave the EU and the reality now he's in charge.

Weeks after the vote he bragged: "I would expect the new Prime Minister on September 9th to immediately trigger a large round of global trade deals with all our most favoured trade partners.

"I would expect that the negotiation phase of most of them to be concluded within between 12 and 24 months."

(Image: Getty Images)

But September 9 came and went while his Prime Minister still refused to be drawn on the details.

And instead of flying across the world, Mr Davis went to Oxford without fanfare for a meeting with fellow anti-EU Tory MP John Redwood.

Titled ' Brexit and UK relations with the EU', the event at All Souls College was due to be attended by just 50 or so people.

It was due to feature a speech by All Souls Fellow Mr Redwood, who is thought to have arranged the event, with other spots pencilled in for pro- Brexit Tories Peter Lilley and William Cash.

Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Tom Brake blasted: "It would appear that David Davis thinks the forever friends collage he is making with Peter Lilley was a better use of time than his cabinet role.

(Image: Rex)

"This Tory Brexit government have no coherent and practical plan to build Britain's new place in the world."

Labour MP Phil Wilson, of the Open Britain campaign, said: “On his Big Trade Deal Day David Davis was not negotiating with major global economies but scratching around behind closed doors at an Oxford College looking for ideas.

"The Brexit Secretary talks a good game about world trade but he’s going to have to do a bit more than hold private meetings with John Redwood if we want the best deal for British businesses and workers.”

Earlier this week Mr Davis freely admitted he would keep detailed EU negotiations secret from Parliament.

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He told a House of Lords committee: "Clearly there is a need for Parliament to be informed without giving away our negotiating position.

"I may not be able to tell you everything, even in private hearings."

A source said Mr Davis attended the behind-closed-doors meeting in a 'listening capacity' and did not give a speech.

The source added the event was attended by people with a range of views including legal and business chiefs.

(Image: Getty)

A spokesman for the Brexit Secretary said: "As anyone would expect, and we have said many times, the Secretary of State will be meeting as many people, organisations and institutions as possible as we seek to build a national consensus around our negotiating position and get the best deal for Britain."

Mr Redwood, who is a Fellow of the college, told the Mirror: "The seminar examined a range of issues with experts from widely differing viewpoints and backgrounds.

"Individual attendees are free to publish their own views as they wish."