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Former British EU ambassador Sir Ivan Rogers resigns from civil service entirely

The diplomat previously quit early as Britain's ambassador to the EU

Jon Stone
Political Correspondent
Saturday 07 January 2017 07:53 EST
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Sir Ivan Rogers
Sir Ivan Rogers (Reuters)

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The senior British diplomat who resigned as the UK's ambassador to the EU has quit the civil service entirely, it has emerged.

Sir Ivan Rogers warned against "muddled thinking" by Government ministers over Brexit in his resignation letter.

In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon the Foreign Office confirmed that Sir Ivan had not sought any further civil service job.

Sir Ivan resigned as the UK's permanent representative to the European Union on January 3. He was reportedly frustrated at top Brexit ministers' inability to properly understand briefings about the EU.

Yesterday eurosceptic Tory MP and chair of the Public Administration Select Committee Bernard Jenkin said it would be "honourable" for civil servants who could not back Brexit to resign.

The FDA, the trade union that represents the senior civil service, said civil servants were already well aware of their duty to be impartial and had been subjected to a stream of "ill-informed commentary" by politicians since the referendum.

The permanent representative to the EU explains British policy to the arms of the European Union, including MEPs, the Commission, and other European heads of state and government on the European Council.


Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said civil servants unable to implement Brexit should resign 

 Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said civil servants unable to implement Brexit should resign 
 (PA)

The role also involves setting the agenda for EU summits by means of its seat on an influential committee of Brussels diplomats.

Sir Ivan has been replaced by Sir Tim Barrow, a former UK ambassador to Moscow.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "Sir Ivan Rogers resigned as UK Permanent Representative to Brussels on 3 January.

"He did not seek any further civil service appointment and has therefore resigned from the civil service with immediate effect.

"We are grateful for Sir Ivan's work in Brussels and across a number of other senior positions in the civil service."

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