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Theresa May's former right-hand man today called on the Government to publish evidence on the impact of Brexit and accused colleagues of turning a deaf ear to it.

Damian Green, the ex-first secretary of state, piled pressure on Brexit Secretary David Davis to give the public more details of the risks and benefits of quitting the European Union.

In his first interview since being sacked in December, Mr Green, who supported Remain, also hit out at colleagues who have accused the Treasury of seeking to thwart Brexit.

He told the BBC that leaving the EU was “as difficult a task as the civil service has been set, probably since wartime”. He added: “I do reject all the conspiracy theories that suggest there’s some sort of plot inside the official machine to thwart the will of the people.”

Appearing tonight on Radio 4’s The Ministry Of Leave, presented by Ben Wright, Mr Green was due to say: “There’s a great problem of politicians who won’t accept evidence.

"We can all argue about economic forecasts and none of them are 100 per cent accurate but you have to rely on them and if you reject evidence you don’t like then you will end up with faith-based policies.” Mr Davis has come under fire for refusing to publish analysis on how Brexit could affect industry. Mr Green said: “If analysis is being produced then publish it.”

The MP was sacked from the Cabinet after breaching the ministerial code by making “inaccurate” statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008. He also apologised to writer Kate Maltby, who had accused him of inappropriate sexual advances, although he denied any wrongdoing.

In today’s Standard, ex-Brexit minister Lord Bridges urged Mrs May to lift the “fog” blighting Britain’s Brexit plans amid warnings that key trade talks could soon hit the buffers. He issued the plea ahead of a summit at Chequers where Cabinet ministers will try to thrash out a position on the Government’s hopes for a future trade deal with the EU. He said: “I said some weeks ago that, if we don’t agree on such terms, the transition period will not be a bridge to a clear destination but a gang plank into thin air. Precious days have passed, but the fog has not lifted.”

A senior German MEP also warned that talks could run aground “very soon” unless the Prime Minister sets out what kind of trade deal she wants. Manfred Weber, who leads the centre-Right group of EU parliamentarians, told the Standard “the ball is in Mrs May’s court” and that she needs to “bring clarity”.

Mrs May’s Europe adviser Oliver Robbins and other civil servants are in Brussels today and Tuesday for talks with EU counterparts. These will focus on the transition or “implementation” period and possible solutions to avoid a new Irish border. The EU is sticking to its red lines on transition, insisting that all laws apply in full until the 21-month period runs out at the end of December 2020, including free movement of people.

Mrs May has vowed to restrict rights for EU migrants arriving after the UK leaves in March 2019 but Mr Weber said this remains a red line for the bloc.

Tom Tugendhat, Tory chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: “We must be clearer as soon as possible over what our future relationship with the EU will be.” The former international trade minister Mark Garnier added: “Our economy has needed clarity for some time about how we are going to resolve difficult Brexit issues.”

The Brexit Department has stressed that it would not publish information that is sensitive to the negotiations with the EU and could undermine Britain’s national interest.