The statistics watchdog has rebuked Downing Street over a central claim that Theresa May used to sell her Chequers plan to ministers and MPs.

Senior government figures said that 96 per cent of goods entering the UK would not undergo customs checks under its plan for a future trading relationship with Europe.

That claim was key to selling the plan for the so-called facilitated customs arrangement to ministers and MPs after previous proposals were rejected.

Analysis for The Times, however, cast doubt over the central pledge that the vast majority of businesses would pay the right tariff or no tariff at the border. It found that the claim that about 96 per cent of products would be able to pay the correct tariff “up