EU ambassador criticises Government's 'muddled thinking' over Brexit in resignation letter

Resignation: Sir Ivan Rogers
EPA
Patrick Grafton-Green4 January 2017
WEST END FINAL

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Britain’s ambassador to the EU criticised the Government for “muddled thinking” over Brexit in his resignation letter.

Sir Ivan Rogers unexpectedly quit his role as the UK’s top diplomat in Brussels on Tuesday, just months before formal Brexit negotiations are due to take place.

In a 1,400 word email to staff, in which Sir Ivan explained his reasons for resigning, he urged colleagues to challenge “ill-founded arguments” over EU withdrawal.

He said they must continue to challenge ministers and "speak the truth to those in power".

Sir Ivan, who has been the UK’s top ambassador to the EU for three years, wrote: “I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.

“I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them.”

He has previously argued a post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal might take 10 years to finalise and still fail.

Sir Ivan stressed the need for expert civil servants to play a central role in the negotiations and urged his staff to share with ministers the true opinions of the other 27 member states "even where this is uncomfortable".

He added: "Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall.”

Sir Ivan also hit out at assertions by some politicians that a free trade deal will be easy to negotiate.

He said: "Contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen when it is not thwarted by authorities: increasing market access to other markets and consumer choice in our own, depends on the deals, multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral that we strike, and the terms that we agree.”

He said he decided to step down early so his replacement can be in place when Article 50 is triggered in March and formal negotiations commence.

But his resignation comes amid reports that Theresa May and her senior team had "lost confidence" in him over his "pessimistic" view of Brexit.

A Downing Street spokesman said Sir Ivan was only leaving his post "a few months early", adding: "Sir Ivan has taken this decision now to enable a successor to be appointed before the UK invokes Article 50 by the end of March.”

However Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "It is damning when our own top people are slamming this Conservative Brexit Government for using ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking.

"This is the biggest decision by the UK Government in modern times and Theresa May is marching ahead without a plan or even a clue.”

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court, the former Treasury permanent secretary, tweeted: "Ivan Rogers huge loss. Can't understand wilful & total destruction of EU expertise."

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