‘I don’t have to be clever’, claims Brexit Secretary

David Davis has said he does not have to be very clever to do his job as Brexit Secretary.

Mr Davis insisted: “I do just have to be calm”, revealing that lastmonday’sbotchedattempt at getting an agreement with the European Union to move to Brexit trade negotiations had tested that ability.

He said the phone call Prime Minister Theresa May had with DUP leader Arlene Foster last Monday, which appeared to undo the planned deal, was “a lot shorter than people say”. He revealed that his patience was tested by events.

The Brexit Secretary told LBC radio: “What’s the requirement of my job? I don’t have to be very clever, I don’t have to know that much, I do just have to be calm.

“And that did test the calmness a bit, a little bit.

“But we had to pick another day and we looked at Wednesday, but Wednesday wasn’t long enough for the DUP to sort themselves out, so we made it Thursday, Friday morning.”

Mr Davis also said he did not believe economic forecasts as he discussed the furore over the UK government’s failure to formally assess the likely impact of EU withdrawal on different sectors of the UK economy.