Rogers, the UK’s most senior envoy to the European Union, resigned from his post on the first working day of 2017, weeks before the prime minister Theresa May is set to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal mechanism for the UK to leave the EU.
In a resignation email to staff, subsequently leaked to the media, Rogers’ criticised “muddled” thinking within the government regarding plans for Brexit negotiations and called on staff to “speak truth to those in power”.
Departures of senior civil servants rarely attract significant public attention, but Rogers’ exit appeared to take Number 10 by surprise. Several pro-Brexit politicians have since publicly criticised Rogers, including former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who said that Rogers could no longer be trusted and was right to go. Reporters have suggested that Number 10 is keen to replace Rogers with a mandarin more in tune with the government’s attitude to Brexit.
The episode prompted to FDA union, which represents senior public service managers, to defend the independence of the civil service.
In a statement released today, general secretary Dave Penman said: “It doesn't surprise me that some politicians are calling for pro-Brexit civil servants to be appointed, what surprises me is the deafening silence from ministers who should be taking to the airwaves to defend the integrity and capability of the impartial civil service.”
He singled out prime minister Theresa May for criticism whom he said “has publicly criticised civil servants, trivialised those who suggest that the civil service is being under-resourced and now sits back as key officials are pilloried by a succession of former ministers”.
The prime minister has repeatedly refused calls to clarify the government’s approach to negotiations.
In two recent reports, the Institute for Government urged Number 10 to give the civil service more information regarding its approach, maintaining that ‘silence is not a strategy’. While recognising the desire to keep the details under wraps, the think-tank reported that the pervading secrecy was hampering preparations.
Rogers seemed to confirm these fears, and warned in his parting email that “we do not yet know what the government will set as negotiating objectives for the UK’s relationship with the EU after exit”. He added that “serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall”.
In his statement, Penman said: “If the civil service is to deliver a successful Brexit negotiation, the recipe for that success is unlikely to be to starve it of resources, lack clarity of objective and be surrounded with yes men and women who will not speak truth unto power."
Other political figures have come out in support of Rogers, such as former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who described his exit as a “body blow” to the government’s Brexit plans. On Twitter, former chancellor George Osborne described him as a “perceptive, pragmatic and patriotic public servant.”
Ivan Rogers helped me on many ECOFIN deals over the years. He is a perceptive, pragmatic & patriotic public servant. Thank you.
— George Osborne (@George_Osborne) January 3, 2017
In an official statement responding to Rogers’ departure, the government said he was already planning to leave later this year and had instead “resigned a few months early”.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, has written to David Davis, the Cabinet minister in charge of Brexit, calling for him to make a statement to the Commons about the resignation.
Sir Tim Barrow, a former ambassador to Russia, has been appointed to replace Rogers.
