Britain’s Brexit plans rocked by resignation
BRITAIN’S Brexit plans were in turmoil yesterday after its ambassador to the EU quit, blasting “ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking” less than three months before the process is due to start.
Ivan Rogers’s resignation and sharp criticism shed new light on the difficulties faced by Prime Minister Theresa May, who wants to hand in Britain’s notice for withdrawing from the European Union by the end of March.
The move to trigger the Article 50 mechanism would start a two-year clock ticking on sorting out future relations between Britain and the EU.
Rogers said on Tuesday he accepted that his departure would add to the uncertainty over the coming years of Brexit negotiations.
May has faced criticism for saying little about Britain’s divorce settlement objectives – last month she went beyond her “Brexit means Brexit” mantra to specify that she wanted a “red, white and blue Brexit”.
A highly regarded diplomat who had been due to end his four-year stint in October, Rogers quit nine months early so that his successor could see through the whole Article 50 process.
However, he left with some pointed remarks in his resignation e-mail to staff at UKRep, Britain’s EU embassy.
“We do not yet know what the government will set as negotiating objectives for the UK’s relationship with the EU after exit,” he said, saying UKRep was no clearer on the issue than what May had made public.
He urged colleagues to provide British ministers with their unvarnished understanding through Brexit negotiations – “even where this is uncomfortable”.
“I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power,” he said.
Rogers also criticised the British government for its short supply of “serious multilateral negotiating experience” in London and said the structure of the UK’s negotiating team “needs rapid resolution”.
Newspaper The Sun said the unexpected departure delighted Brexiteers but left the PM with a massive New Year headache. – AFP