Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union
source
Agency name	Department for Exiting the European Union
Formed	2016
Dissolved	2020
Superseding	Cabinet Office
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	Westminster
Minister1 name	David Davis
Minister2 name	Dominic Raab
Parent agency	United Kingdom Cabinet Office

Department for Exiting the European Union

The Department for Exiting the European Union was a United Kingdom ministerial department created after the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum to oversee negotiations for withdrawal from the European Union and implement related policies. It operated alongside ministerial offices including the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom's team, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the HM Treasury, and the Home Office, engaging with EU institutions such as the European Commission, Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament.

History and Establishment

The department was established by the Theresa May administration following the referendum result endorsed by figures including Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, and Gisela Stuart, under the remit of implementing Article 50 of the TEU. Its creation reflected negotiations already involving the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and legal input from the Supreme Court in the Miller case. The department operated during successive administrations including the Theresa May ministry, the Boris Johnson ministry, and intersected with the tenure of Philip Hammond at the HM Treasury and David Cameron's earlier premiership context.

Responsibilities and Functions

Tasked with delivering the UK's withdrawal, the department coordinated with negotiators and civil servants from the Cabinet Office, Department for International Trade, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). It prepared positions for Article 50 negotiations with the European Commission's negotiating team led by Michel Barnier, interacted with member state capitals such as Berlin, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Dublin, and briefed parliamentary committees including the Exiting the European Union Committee (House of Commons), the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and the Treasury Select Committee. The department drafted policy papers on topics touching Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement, customs arrangements referencing the Customs Union, and citizens' rights concerning nationals of Poland, Romania, Spain, France, and Germany.

Organisation and Leadership

Ministerial leadership included David Davis as Secretary of State and later Dominic Raab as Secretary of State, supported by Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries drawn from MPs such as Steve Baker, Ben Wallace, and advisers with backgrounds linked to the Conservative Party campaign groups like the Vote Leave campaign. Senior civil servants liaised with directors from the Foreign Office, Treasury, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The department maintained teams focused on legal advice connecting to the Advocate General for Scotland and liaised with devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland represented by figures such as Nicola Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones, and Martin McGuinness-era stakeholders.

Key Negotiations and Activities

The department led Article 50 negotiations with the European Commission under Michel Barnier and coordinated UK negotiating positions on complex files including the Northern Ireland backstop, the Withdrawal Agreement, the Political Declaration on the future relationship, and transition arrangements. It negotiated with EU member state representatives from Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal, Greece, and engaged with international partners such as the United States, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization for post-withdrawal arrangements. Domestic activities included producing white papers, papers debated in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and responding to legal challenges including submissions referencing the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice in specialist contexts.

Criticism, Controversies and Restructuring

The department faced criticism from MPs across groups including Labour Party figures like Jeremy Corbyn and from Liberal Democrats led by Jo Swinson, as well as from think tanks such as IPPR and Centre for European Reform. Controversies included debates over transparency, staffing choices connected to campaign groups like Leave.EU, allegations of inadequate preparation for trade impacts affecting sectors represented by CBI and unions like the Trades Union Congress. Legal and parliamentary setbacks such as the Meaningful Vote defeats in the House of Commons and the court ruling in Miller shaped public debate. In 2020 the department was merged into the Cabinet Office (United Kingdom), with responsibilities redistributed alongside the Department for International Trade (United Kingdom), reflecting structural changes under the Boris Johnson ministry and the 2020 United Kingdom general election aftermath.

Category:Former United Kingdom government departments