The Guardian leads on its analysis showing that the Brexit doom-mongers were wrong… Fears that Britain will slide into a post-referendum recession have been allayed after a Guardian analysis showed the latest news on the economy has confounded analysts’ gloomy expectations, with consumer spending strong, unemployment low and the housing market holding steady… Following the historic 23 June vote to leave the EU, analysts were quick to predict the UK economy would grind to a halt or even shrink… Now the picture of early resilience is bolstered in the first snapshot of post-referendum Britain in a new Guardian project that will track the economy as the Brexit talks begin and progress, and as more data on the economy becomes available. – The Guardian …as the OECD U-turns on pre-referendum warnings to improve its 2016 growth forecast… The west’s leading economic thinktank has backtracked on its warning that the UK would suffer instant damage from a Brexit vote… The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which issued strong warnings about the likely impact of a vote to leave the EU ahead of the 23 June vote, has revised up its forecast for growth this year. – The Guardian The international body has increased its 2016 growth forecast modestly, raising its gross domestic product (GDP) predictions from 1.7pc in its June update to 1.8pc now. The organisation had warned of a “large negative shock” were the UK to vote to leave the EU ahead of the June 23 referendum. – The Telegraph …and the ONS declares that Brexit has had no major impact on the economy The Brexit vote has had no major impact on the economy, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. “The referendum result appears, so far, not to have had a major effect on the UK economy,” ONS chief economist Joe Grice said. – The Independent The upbeat comments from the country’s official statistical body made a mockery of George Osborne’s dire warnings before the vote of ‘an immediate and profound’ economic blow. – Daily Mail Growth forecasts for UK economy upgraded for second consecutive month – City A.M. Another day, another admission that the economic predictions of doom over Brexit were wrong – Telegraph editorial Britain is clearly thriving after the vote for Brexit.- Daily Express Project cheer continues! – Daily Mail Given its recent record, why are OECD guesses worth more than anyone else’s? – The Sun says Watch: Brexit vote had ‘no major effect’ on economy – Sky News Yesterday on BrexitCentral: OECD raises projection for UK growth despite forecast of a post-Brexit economic shock Brexit means Business: Companies ignore Project Fear scaremongering for hiring spree Businesses are refusing to panic in the wake of the Brexit vote and instead are planning a hiring spree… But a survey from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found 22% of businesses are planning to take on permanent staff over the next three months. – The Sun Voters showing no signs of ‘buyer’s remorse’ over Brexit says BBC’s polling guru Prof John Curtice, president of the British Polling Council, said there was little evidence of a “significant rethink” by voters despite the hopes of some pro-EU politicians. During a briefing on public opinion and the referendum, Prof Curtice showed that twice as many people are currently opposed to a second EU referendum than back one. – The Telegraph Leavers and Remainers across politics and business unite to launch new Brexit forum The Financial Services Negotiation Forum, or FSNForum for short, will aim to produce “neutral, evidence-based research” on the key issues surrounding the impending Brexit negotiations. FSNForum’s honorary advisory council will be chaired by Anthony Belchambers, chairman of the Industry Advisory Group of the All Party Parliamentary Group on wholesale financial markets and services, chairman of Saxo Capital Markets and a non-executive director with NASDAQ NLX. – City A.M. “Last Thursday, David Davis, the secretary of state for exiting the European Union, wrote in these pages that he wanted to “build a national consensus around our negotiating position, listening and talking to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible”… On 19 October we will be launching the Financial Services Negotiation Forum (FSNForum) which will provide a direct response to that call. As a new joint research and advisory body, it will bring together senior City figures and politicians from both sides of the referendum debate with the single objective of securing a negotiation outcome that is in the best achievable interests of the whole of the UK.” – FSNForum Chairman Anthony Belchambers writing in City A.M. Labour’s Shadow International Trade Secretary: Wait another 12 months before triggering Article 50 “You know the key negotiators – France and Germany – cannot be seen to be helpful to you in those negotiations. They can’t give you concessions for a year because they’re in their own electoral mode and they have their own electoral considerations to take care of. Bending over backwards to help Britain restructure its relationship to the European Union is not only not going to be number one on the agenda, they’re not only not going to have time for that, actually they’re not going to have that inclination because their electorate are going to say ‘hey, you’re not supposed to be bending over backwards for the UK to help restructure its relationship with the EU’.” – Barry Gardiner MP speaking to The House magazine British Eurocrats scramble to avoid Brextinction… As Britain’s imminent departure from the European Union threatens to upend their careers and livelihoods, British Eurocrats have turned to the highest-ranking U.K. officials in the EU to save their jobs… Even though the Brexit process itself has not yet begun, British EU officials are scrambling to understand what the historic split will mean not just for their jobs, but also for their pensions, tax status and ability of their children to attend privileged European schools. – Politico.eu …as Whitehall’s Brexit Department gets recruiting New figures released to the House of Commons show that the ministry, established by Theresa May in the wake of the Brexit vote, now has more than 200 civil servants, up from around 40 in July, with a further 120 officials in Brussels. – International Business Times Brexit distances UK from its Danish ally Danish officials are worried that Brexit will make Denmark’s own membership of the EU increasingly uncomfortable, making it harder for Copenhagen to ally with Britain as London negotiates its exit from the bloc.- FT (£) Former Italian PM warns Brussels ‘other countries could abandon EU’ Italy’s former Prime Minister has warned Brussels that the aftershock from Brexit is not over and that other nations, including his own were ready to abandon the European Union. Enrico Letta said “there may not be a Europe to fix” by 2017 unless there was level playing field for every member state. – Daily Express Alan Duncan tells tonight’s BBC2 documentary that Boris (now his boss) only backed Leave to advance leadership ambitions Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan has said his boss Boris Johnson wanted to lose the referendum and only campaigned for Brexit to become the Tory ‘heir apparent’… In comments recorded the day before the referendum took place, Mr Duncan predicted Remain would win by 52 to 48 per cent and said: “By championing leave, Boris can be the great heir apparent of the future, darling of the activists, but actually it would be quite good if he didn’t actually win the referendum because there would be total chaos.” – The Independent Ian Katz: Brexit and Brexiteers – the triumph of simple, positive messaging “Much has been said and written about the power of the Leave campaign’s simple and disciplined messaging. Both sides agree that the Remain camp never found a slogan with the clarity and muscular appeal of ‘Take Back Control’… The In camp could find no collective noun to embrace. Mischievous Outers took delight in goading them variously as Bremainers, Remoaners and Remainians, but they didn’t really need to. Remainers was bad enough. It reeked of timidity — or worse, cold leftovers from a meal long finished. – Newsnight editor Ian Katz in The Spectator Kim Kaivanto: Why Britain should play the long game with its Brexit strategy “With patience and a degree of moral ambivalence, Britain may find that developments within and between the remaining EU states may serve up a more receptive negotiating environment. Europe is moving closer to Britain. Not fast enough to have preempted the Brexit referendum – but perhaps fast enough to arrive in time for settling the terms of departure.” – Kim Kaivanto on CapX Would a Swiss-EU compromise on free movement appeal to Britain? Even if the proposed limits to free movement amount to anything substantive (and we don’t yet know), any EU ‘give’ on free movement could come with an awful lot of ‘take’ when it comes to Swiss sovereignty. Whether this will be acceptable to the Swiss is far from clear. The same goes for Britain. – Stephen Booth for Open Europe Brexit comment in brief A second EU referendum will not heal Britain’s social divisions – it would only make things worse – Tony Hockley for The Independent Amid all the Brexit uncertainty, a clearer picture is emerging – Matthew Whittaker for the Resolution Foundation We must ensure the NHS gains from Brexit – J. Meirion Thomas on ConservativeHome Brexit revealed a value divide between liberals and authoritarians that will impact for a generation – Matthew Goodwin for The Times (£) Red Box Hong Kong shows what post-Brexit Britain could be – James Delingpole in The Spectator How much longer are we going to help pay for the EU? – John Redwood’s Diary Brexit news in brief Lord Lansley calls for £5 billion NHS Brexit bonus – BBC Give EU until Easter for exit deal then ‘simply walk away’ urges Patrick Minford – Daily Express Pharmaceutical industry call for “soft Brexit” strategy shelved after ministers warned it was too pro-EU – The Times (£) UK car output rose nine percent in August – Reuters Watch: Ici Londres – Leaving the EU is not an end in itself, it’s the means to an end – Daniel Hannan MEP