Secret summit ‘to make Brexit work better’: Michael Gove, Labour front benchers and arch-Remainer Lord Mandelson ‘join conference on improving UK’s ties with EU’

Michael Gove was among the participants at a ‘secret’ summit on how to make Brexit work better.

The Levelling Up Secretary joined a two-day conference looking at ways of improving cooperation with the EU.

Senior Labour figures including shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and Lord Mandelson were also present alongside Brexiteers at the gathering at the Ditchley Park venue in Oxfordshire.

Other guests from business included Oliver Robbins, Theresa May’s former chief EU envoy, according to the Observer.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove (left) and shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (right) joined a two-day conference looking at ways of improving cooperation with the EU

The conference was titled: ‘How can we make Brexit work better with our neighbours in Europe?’ 

An introductory statement apparently acknowledged that there was now a view among ‘some at least, that so far the UK has not yet found its way forward outside the EU’. 

Brexit was said to be ‘acting as a drag on our growth and inhibiting the UK’s potential’.

Mr Gove, who spearheaded the Vote Leave campaign in 2016 with Boris Johnson, was reported to have been ‘honest’ about the shortcomings of Brexit, while stressing he still believed it would end up being the right decision.

However, one source suggested the idea it was secret was ‘nonsense’ and Mr Gove was only there because he is a governor of Ditchley Park – which holds regular such summits in a variety of topics. 

The event was described a ‘quite dull’ with ‘no relevance’ to negotiations in the Northern Ireland protocol or ‘significance for government policy’. 

A source told the Observer: ‘The main thrust of it was that Britain is losing out, that Brexit is not delivering, that our economy is in a weak position.

‘It was about moving on from leave and remain, and what are the issues we now have to face, and how can we get into the best position in order to have a conversation with the EU about changes to the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement when that happens.’

Summit papers were said to underline that ‘rejoining the EU will not be on the agenda’.

Brexiteers in attendance included Tory former Cabinet ministers Michael Howard and Norman Lamont, and former Labour Europe minister Gisela Stuart. 

Lord Mandelson was also present alongside Brexiteers at the gathering at the Ditchley Park venue in Oxfordshire

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