It was a secret Brexit summit with a lot of striking names attending – the shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, the former EU negotiator Oliver Robbins, the ex-Treasury permanent secretary Tom Scholar. But the name that has raised the most eyebrows is the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove.
The gathering revealed by the Observer has riled pro-Brexit Conservatives, including the former negotiator Lord Frost. Attenders have attempted to play down its significance, suggesting it was more of a “grandees’ talking shop” – albeit one with an extraordinary guest list.
