The appointment of Theresa May’s former chief negotiator with the European Union as the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office (FCDO) by Sir Keir Starmer is being seen as a statement of intent in his determination to reset relations with the EU.
Sir Oliver Robbins was on a shortlist of four to become his new permanent secretary running the civil service in Whitehall, but has ended up with a job in charge of David Lammy’s team of mandarins at the FCDO.
Sir Oliver was the architect of Theresa May’s attempts to find a sensible agreement with the EU after she became prime minister following the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership.
However, after three failed “meaningful votes” in parliament as hardline Brexiteers and Remainers combined to defeat the May government, Sir Oliver’s attempts to find a compromise were shelved by the incoming Boris Johnson administration.
Mr Lammy said Sir Oliver was “exactly the person” to help him “rewire the FCDO to act as the international delivery arm of this government’s missions”.
Mr Lammy added: “His extensive experience of economic and security issues, gained across a range of Whitehall departments, will stand us in good stead as we reorient the FCDO to focus on growth and migration, while continuing to double down on national security – the foundation of our Plan for Change.
“I would like to thank Sir Philip Barton for his many years of dedicated public service, in particular his leadership as PUS (permanent secretary) and his support through the recent political transition.”
Sir Oliver said: “It has been my pleasure to work alongside the FCDO’s predecessors for most of my civil service career. I’ve seen our extraordinary diplomatic and development capabilities first-hand, from Washington DC to Mogadishu, Dublin to Sana’a and Abuja to New Delhi.
“After five years out of the civil service, I return believing more strongly than ever in the value of those capabilities and the public service principles that underpin them, while convinced that maintaining the UK’s lead depends critically on understanding and co-opting the pace of change evident in the UK and around the world.”
His appointment is being seen in parliament as part of a strategy to move Britain closer to the EU including possibly his plan to shadow EU rules and regulations to enable the free movement of trade and end a border in the Irish Sea between the mainland and Northern Ireland.
The appointment has infuriated Brexiteers, who hit out at the prime minister.
Mark Francois, chairman of the hardline European Research Group (ERG), said: “If Labour wanted to rejoin the EU, Olly Robbins, a notable Europhile, is their perfect choice at the FCDO. As the official who led the negotiations on Theresa May’s deeply flawed Withdrawal Agreement, he is well connected around the EU. I have always argued that Starmer remains a Remainer at heart and this just helps prove it. Labour are going to try and take us back in, one step at a time.”
Sir Oliver will replace Sir Philip Barton, who is stepping down after nearly four decades at the FCDO.
He currently works for Hakluyt, a global strategic advisory firm, and has previously worked for Goldman Sachs, held senior roles at the Cabinet Office, Treasury and in Downing Street, but he has never previously worked at the Foreign Office.
