Theresa May’s chief Brexit negotiator in talks to work with Labour

Theresa May’s chief Brexit negotiator is in talks with Labour about a potential return to the top of government, reports suggest.

Sir Olly Robbins, who quit the Civil Service when Boris Johnson won a landslide in 2019, has been having “informal” discussions with Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, about a senior job under Labour, according to The Sunday Times.

It is thought that he may be asked to replace Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary, the most powerful official in Whitehall. Alternatively, he could take on the role of Downing Street permanent secretary, which has been vacant for two years.

Sir Olly is known for helping to secure Mrs May’s Brexit deal, which was rejected by parliament three times. He was blamed by Brexiteers for softening the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU and failing to demand concessions from the bloc on the Northern Irish backstop.

The seasoned mandarin was knighted in Mrs May’s resignation honours list in September 2019, and left Whitehall three months later to work for Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, as a managing director.

Since last year, he has worked at consultants Hakluyt & Company, first as a partner and then, as of last month, a director.

Sources told The Sunday Times that Sir Olly has told Ms Gray he will consider returning to government only if he is definitely wanted by Sir Keir, and he is deemed fit to serve after applying.

The newspaper reported that Mr Case is preparing to stand down in the New Year, after overseeing the expected transition from Conservative to Labour governments, paving the way for Sir Olly’s return.

The experienced official started his career in Whitehall in the Treasury in 1996, a year before Sir Tony Blair won a Labour landslide. He stayed there for 10 years before moving to No 10, where he served as a top adviser to both Sir Tony and his successor, Gordon Brown.

After a three-year secondment as a “finance and strategy” director, he joined the Cabinet Office as David Cameron’s deputy national security adviser, and later the department’s director general.

From there, he served as second permanent secretary in the Home Office under Mrs May, before being appointed the UK’s chief Brexit negotiator.

One source expressed concerns about Sir Olly’s credentials, telling The Sunday Times: “The major challenge Labour face is turning around public services with no money. His skillset is crisis, policy fixes and negotiation, not tough, grinding reform.”

They said: “If he wants to work very differently and trust and empower others and really lead he could be [very] good. But he’d have to work against his pre-existing reputation in Whitehall. And be very different from how he was on Brexit.”

Labour has been approached for comment.