Prior to Brexit, Robbins had long been regarded by fellow officials in Whitehall as a high performer primed for the heights of Britain’s civil service, which prizes its impartiality and ability to serve governments of all stripes. But he returns bearing battle scars from serving as then-Prime Minister Theresa May’s Europe Adviser and the country’s chief Brexit negotiator from 2017 to 2019, the high watermark of the country’s fraught Brexit process.
He was the frequent target of angry briefings from Brexiteers who variously accused him of pro-EU bias or of having too much sway over May. It forced a rare public intervention from then-Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, who said those attacking Robbins “should be ashamed of themselves” and leapt to the defense of Robbins’ “extraordinary dedication and professionalism.”
As his return to the Foreign Office was announced Wednesday, Robbins praised the “extraordinary diplomatic and development capabilities” of the U.K.’s Foreign Office.
“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 U.K.’s lead depends critically on understanding and co-opting the pace of change evident in the U.K. and around the world,” he said in a statement.
Robbins takes over from Philip Barton, who is stepping down after four decades at the Foreign Office. It comes as Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer pursues a “reset” in the U.K.’s ties with the EU.
