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A Tory minister has prompted bafflement by saying every single forecast his own government has ever made of anything is wrong.

Steve Baker made the jaw-dropping announcement to deflect accusations he'd overseen a "stinking cover-up" of damning analysis of Brexit.

A draft government report obtained by BuzzFeed has said all three main Brexit scenarios will see Britain's economy grow slower than it would inside the EU.

Even more controversially, it said every UK region and almost every sector of the economy will be hit negatively - despite the Brexit Department claiming no "sectoral" impact assessments exist.

Furious MPs hauled Brexit minister Mr Baker to the House of Commons for an urgent debate today where he claimed he'd only seen the report this morning - 12 hours after it was published.

MPs descended into jeering laughter when he claimed the report was "not what is formally known as an impact assessment".

(Image: UK Parliament)

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And despite it being assembled by his own civil servants, Mr Baker poured scorn on the report saying it needs "improvement".

Tory MP William Wragg asked Mr Baker: "Can the excellent minister name me a single civil service forecast, leaked or otherwise, that has been accurate?"

The minister replied: "No, I'm not able to name an accurate forecast, and I think that they are always wrong."

Mr Baker highlighted the many forecasts about Brexit that had been wrong in the past.

And he read a quote to MPs that declared: "The only purpose of economic forecasting was to make astrology look respectable."

Mr Baker insisted full analysis would be provided to MPs before they have a final vote on the Brexit deal.

But Remainer Tory Ken Clarke said the government was trying to "protect" itself from "political embarrassment".

(Image: London News Pictures Ltd)

Commons Brexit Committee chair Hilary Benn - who Brexit Secretary David Davis assured there were no impact assessments - said there was a "discrepancy between what we were told and what we now in fact know".

Labour MP Neil Coyle suggested the behaviour might not fit with the Ministerial Code, which says ministers should show "openness".

Tory MP Antoinette Sandbach said: "Quite frankly minister I take exception to being told that it is not in the national interest for me to see a report that allows me to best represent my constituents."

Labour MP Barry Sheerman demanded an apology saying: "How dare the minister suggest to my constituents that ignorance is bliss?"

Labour MP Chris Leslie added: "This is a cover-up, pure and simple, and it stinks."

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said simply: "Not good enough."

Mr Baker said a mole hunt was under way for whoever leaked the document, claiming the BuzzFeed article was "selective" and designed to "undermine" Brexit.

He also blasted Remainers who "want to overturn the result" declaring: "Their strategy is becoming clear - demoralisation, delay and revocation."

"There is clearly a campaign to overturn the referendum result," he added.

And he said the report shows Britain better off than now - just not as well off as it would be in the EU.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

There was already a huge spat hours before its release after Brussels demanded new EU laws apply to Britain for 21 months after Brexit day.

And Theresa May was facing threats to her leadership as she tried to hold together warring factions at a Cabinet meeting this morning.

Titled “EU Exit Analysis - Cross Whitehall Briefing” and obtained by BuzzFeed News, the document looked at the three most likely outcomes of Brexit.

It said trade would be 5% lower over the next 15 years than current forecasts if Britain negotiates a comprehensive free trade deal with the EU.

A “No deal” Brexit, in which the UK would revert to World Trade Organisation Rules, would see growth reduced by 8%.

Even the softest Brexit option, under which we would retain single-market access, would see growth 2% lower than current forecasts.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said: "At the beginning of cabinet the prime minister noted media coverage of a report purporting to show the economic impact of Britain leaving the EU.

"The PM said this was initial work not improved by ministers which only considers off-the-shelf scenarios.

"No analysis was made of the bespoke arrangement we seek as a matter of government policy as set out in the Florence speech."