Theresa May has been urged to clarify how the process of Britain’s Brexit negotiations will be managed, after a turf war between Whitehall departments burst into the open.

It has emerged that Oliver Robbins, the most senior official at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU), sought to have the post of Britain’s permanent representative in Brussels downgraded to ensure clear reporting lines once formal talks open in the spring.



Senior Whitehall sources denied reports in the Financial Times that Robbins attempted to block the appointment of Sir Tim Barrow to the post, when Sir Ivan Rogers resigned from the role this week. Allies said the pair got on well.

But during the appointment process in recent days there was a discussion about whether Rogers’ successor should be employed at a lower grade than SMS4 – the highest ambassadorial level – which puts Barrow on a par with Robbins.

Insiders said DExEU officials believed they should oversee the negotiations, with UKRep – the team of civil servants based in Brussels – ultimately working to them. In the event, the job retained the most senior grading.

Civil service roles are strictly graded by seniority, and a higher grade determines status and responsibilities, as well as pay. Sources said the UKRep role, previously held by other Whitehall heavy-hitters including former Treasury official Sir Jon Cunliffe, had long been a senior ambassadorial post.

Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said: “Brexit negotiations will be the most complex Britain has faced for generations and will require all the diplomatic skill and experience possible. The last thing we need is a turf war between DExEU and UKRep. It is vital the PM ensures there is a clear line of communication between Whitehall, Brussels and to our EU partners.”

Senior officials said it was an “open secret” that there had been “strained relations” between Robbins – a precocious high-flier – and Rogers, who announced his departure from the role earlier this week.

Just as Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox have sometimes jostled over their respective roles in the process of extricating Britain from the EU, senior civil servants have been keen to clear up the ambiguous relationship between negotiators in Brussels and officials in Whitehall.

The Foreign Office traditionally appoints ambassadors, and the permanent representative is a diplomatic role – but DExEU was set up to manage the task of implementing Brexit.

Robbins succeeded Rogers in the coveted post of principal private secretary to the prime minister. However, former colleagues who know both men said Rogers would have been frustrated by his much younger rival trying to seize control of the negotiating process. “He would have thought, ‘Olly Robbins is just out of short trousers’,” said one.

They suggested Rogers had also been frustrated that he no longer had a direct line to the prime minister, because his personal relationship with May was not as close as that with David Cameron.

Conservative backbenchers are keen that the prime minister reveals more details about how the complex negotiations will be managed, when she gives a much-trailed speech on Brexit later this month.

Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, said: “What it would be helpful to hear is realisation of just how massive a task this is going to be, a clear timeline and reassurance that the right people are in place and their responsibilities are clear.”

Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe thinktank, said he was not surprised to see power struggles developing between civil servants, because of the uncertainty about who was in charge since the new department had been set up.

“If Boris Johnson isn’t going to be in charge of the negotiations, why is it still his man in Brussels?” he said.

The government is awaiting a verdict in the supreme court appeal over whether it must pass legislation before triggering article 50, the formal process for leaving the EU. Judgment is expected this month.