The #Brexit Secretary is answering questions from MPs on the UK's exit from the EU. Watch live on Sky News pic.twitter.com/xE0TD0e4S3

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 15, 2017

Speaking to the Brexit select committee this morning, David Davis has dismissed John Major’s claim that no deal is the worst possible outcome. He made clear the government’s position is that no deal is “not as good an outcome as a free trade, friction-free, open agreement”, though insisted it would not mean a hard border with Ireland and offered this sensible assessment of a WTO Brexit:

“It’s not as frightening as some people think but it’s not as simple as some people think. In the event that we don’t get [a deal] we will have a fairly extensive contingency plan which is already underway. And we will have, whatever happens, a sharply improved access to the rest of the world off the back of a large number of free trade agreements which will be coming into effect shortly after we leave… [No deal] is by no means the worst possible outcome. By no means.”

As Guido reported on Monday, this is the argument senior Leavers want the government to make a bit more forcefully. You can’t go into a negotiation if you aren’t prepared to walk away. 

Sir Keir Starmer, the Guardian et al are jumping on Davis saying no economic assessment of a WTO Brexit has yet been carried out. This is a bit of a red herring, they have repeatedly said planning is underway and Davis says they will have an assessment in a year’s time.