Shaky ground

Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, shakes hands with Angel Gurria, the secretarygeneral of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, at a press conference at the Treasury in London yesterday. Having introduced Mr Gurria, Mr Hammond left the room – only for the Mexican economist to predict that Brexit could “stifle growth for years to come” and suggest a second referendum would have a “significant” positive impact on the economy. Government sources suggested that Mr Hammond was unaware of the contents of the report prepared by the organisation, which is part-funded by Britain, until shortly before the launch.