Former Brexit negotiator Oliver Robbins expected to get top job at Foreign Office Exclusive: Appointment of former Brexit negotiator as permanent undersecretary thought to be imminent.
Although he left the civil service in 2019, Robbins has years of international affairs and national security experience, which will help him navigate a complex global landscape, with the return of Donald Trump to the White House and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The former Brexit negotiator Oliver Robbins is expected to be appointed as the UK Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant, the Guardian understands.
Robbins, who was on the shortlist last year to take over as cabinet secretary but failed to get the civil service’s top job, was believed to be David Lammy’s favoured candidate for the role.
He will succeed Barton, who announced in November he was standing down after five years in the role, serving five foreign secretaries and overseeing the political transition to Labour.
