Boris Johnson will shut the Brexit department after the 31 January deadline – and ban officials from using the B-word The PM is determined to prove that Brexit has been ‘done’, as promised in his election campaign

The Brexit department will close after the UK leaves the EU in January and the Government will attempt to remove the use of the word “Brexit” moving forward.

When the department was initially set up it was understood that it would be working on post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU as well as shaping the exit deal.

But the Government has confirmed it will be “wound down” after Boris Johnson’s new Leave date of 31 January 2020, before the final trade negotiations are complete.

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Mr Johnson has also reportedly ordered that officials and politicians stop using the word “Brexit” after Britain leaves the EU.

According to HuffPost, the Prime Minister is so determined to prove that Brexit will be “done”, as promised in his election manifesto, that he plans to rename the Downing Street Brexit press team to remove the word.

DExEU closing

The online news site quoted a government source saying: “Once we’re out on 31 January that’s it. The deal is done and after that it’s all about the future relationship.”

Mr Johnson has said he will take Britain out of the EU by the end of next month and is due to begin driving the necessary legislation through Parliament from Friday.

The plans to close down the department and re-brand future trade negotiations are part of his plans to remove “Brexit” from the public conversation sooner rather than later.

This is despite criticism of his “Get Brexit Done” slogan, with people pointing out that leaving the EU and its institutions is really only the beginning of the process.

“The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) will be wound up once the UK leaves the EU on 31 January. DExEU staff have been spoken to today,” a Government spokesman confirmed. “We are very grateful for all their work and we will help everyone to find new roles.”

Whitehall shake-up

It means there will no longer be a Brexit department to oversee negotiations during the so-called “transitional period” lasting between the end of January and December 2020.

There have been suggestions that the best Brexit department staff may join the Cabinet Office to boost numbers in Britain’s EU negotiating team.

The announcement follows reports that the Prime Minister and his top adviser, Dominic Cummings, have ambitious plans for a major shake-up of Whitehall and government departments.

Other ideas floated include splitting energy and climate change from the business department again and merging the Department for International Trade with the business department.

The Foreign Office and the Department for International Development could also be aligned to shift the aid budget’s focus and ensure it fits with foreign policy goals.

The DExEU was established after the 2016 referendum to oversee negotiations to leave the EU and establish the future relationship between the bloc and Britain.