Tory Brexit minister makes grovelling public apology for failing to challenge claims of a 'pro-remain conspiracy'
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A Tory Brexit minister has been forced to make a grovelling apology to the House of Commons for failing to challenge claims of a pro-Remain conspiracy in the civil service.
Leading Leave supporter Mr Baker fuelled unfounded claims the Treasury was trying to thwart Britain's EU exit.
The row unfolded after he had told the Commons it was “essentially correct” that a think tank boss had said “officials in the Treasury have deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad and that officials intended to use this to influence policy”.
But calls are still mounting for Tory Brexit eer Jacob Rees-Mogg to apologise for raising the conspiracy theory in the Commons in the first place.
Theresa May signals she will pursue Brexit at any cost - and insists she won't quit
Speaking in the Commons this morning, Mr Baker told MPs: "I wish to correct the record of my answer yesterday to (Mr Rees-Mogg).
He is aware of this point of order. "Yesterday I answered a question based on my honest recollection of conversation. As I explained yesterday, I considered what I understood the suggestion being put to me as implausible because of the long-standing and well regarded impartiality of the civil service.
"The audio of that conversation is now available and I'm glad the record stands corrected.
"In the context of that audio, I accept I should have corrected or dismissed the premise of my honourable friend's question. I have apologised to Mr Charles Grant, who is an honest and trustworthy man.
"As I've put on record many times, I have the highest regard for our hard-working civil servants.
"I'm grateful for this early opportunity to correct the record and I apologise to the House.''
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
His apology came after Theresa May slapped Baker down for making the comments - but stopped short of sacking him.
Speaking in Shanghai on the final day of her trade mission to China, the Prime Minister told Channel 5 News: “The ministerial code says that the minister should take the earliest opportunity to amend the record that has given to Parliament and apologise to Parliament. He will do that.
“What I understand the minister did was to reflect what he thought somebody else had said at a meeting.
“He has now recalled that was not right, he is going to apologise, he is going to ensure that the record in Hansard is correct so that Parliament is not misled when that record is read in the future.
“That's what the ministerial code asks him to do and that is what he will be doing.”
The exchange came yesterday, after Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the hardline European Research Group of Brexiteer Tories, raised the allegation in the House of Commons.
He asked Mr Baker to confirm if he heard from Charles Grant, of the Centre for European Reform, that "officials in the Treasury have deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad and that officials intended to use this to influence policy".
Steve Baker replied it was "essentially correct" that he had heard the "extraordinary allegations".
He said: "[Mr Rees-Mogg's] account is essentially correct.
(Image: AFP)
"At the time I considered it implausible because my direct experience is that civil servants are extraordinarily careful to uphold the impartiality of the civil service.
"We must proceed with great caution in this matter, but I have heard him raise the issue.
"We need to be very careful not to take this forward in an inappropriate way, but he has reminded me of something that I heard.
"It would be quite extraordinary if it turned out that such a thing had happened."