Guido knows poor old Tom Brake has been driven mad by Brexit. But this letter he has written to David Davis complaining about meetings between DExEU officials and the Legatum Institute is hysterical even by his standards. Brake fumes:

“I am writing to you following information I received that the Legatum Institute has had multiple meetings with officials from the Department for Exiting the European Union. Following an FOI request, it was revealed that the Legatum Institute has had six meetings with your department in the last twelve months.  Six meetings, with a little known think-tank, in the middle of Brexit negotiations, when many companies severely affected by Brexit will not have had anything like that level of access is astounding… it is clear that the Legatum Institute has a reputation for advocating for a Hard Brexit.  Please confirm what level of dialogue your Department had with think tanks which advocate a softer form of Brexit during that same period.”

So Brake thinks Legatum are “Hard Brexit” baddies and that giving them access is “astounding“? He should probably tell his fellow LibDem Paddy Ashdown, who attends roundtable discussions at Legatum. Or LibDem peer Baroness Bowles, who sat on a Legatum panel a few weeks ago. The long list of other prominent Remainers who have “given access” to Legatum recently include Andrew Adonis, the government’s infrastructure commission chief who is one of the chief opponents of Brexit. Are they all part of some sinister Brexiteer conspiracy? Tin foil hat time for Tom…