Brexit: More than 120 MPs accuse Government of keeping everyone 'in the dark'

Brexit minister David Jones confirmed officials have carried out more than 50 unpublished studies on how EU divorce will impact on different sectors

The effects of a no-deal situation would be profound on trade, businesses, household budgets and prices of food and fuel

More than 120 cross-party MPs have signed a letter accusing the Government of trying to keep Parliament and the public "in the dark” by failing to publish a raft of secret studies on the impact of Brexit.

Brexit minister David Jones confirmed earlier this year that his department had carried out assessments on how the EU divorce would hit more than 50 different sectors but the analysis has yet to be published.

Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP MPs have written to Brexit Secretary David Davis demanding the studies are published immediately to allow “full and frank debate about the impact of Brexit” on the economy, jobs, trade and living standards.

Labour MP David Lammy, who helped to co-ordinate the letter, said: “We have to wonder what exactly the Government are hiding in refusing to publish these reports.

“Parliament and the public have a right to know what analysis the Government has done on the impact of Brexit, particularly if this analysis reveals that a hard Brexit will be a disaster for our economy, jobs, trade and living standards.

“So we are calling on the Government to come clean and publish these studies so we can have a full and frank debate about the impact of Brexit with all the facts and analysis out in the open.”

Failure to publish the studies showed the Government was keen to “bypass Parliament” and avoid proper scrutiny, said Labour MP Seema Malhotra, who sits on the Commons Brexit committee.

She added: “Publishing both the list of sectors and the results of the studies is clearly in the public interest and vital for protecting our jobs and economy.

“This is now not about sides but a nation planning together for a big change ahead. It is about leadership, clarity and responsibility.”

Theresa May said a full list of sectors would be published "shortly" but nothing could be done to undermine the negotiations, when she was pressed on the issue repeatedly in Parliament this week.

The Prime Minister said "real and tangible" progress had been made on Brexit since her speech in Florence last month but she set out plans for the first time to mitigate disruption in the event that no deal is reached with Brussels.