The staunch Brexiter impressing civil servants

IN June one of Whitehall’s most senior figures called on government departments to be willing to give up their “brightest and best” to work on the UK’s preparations for Brexit. Ollie Robbins, a mandarin seen as a star across government, has become the permanent secretary of the new Department for Exiting the European Union.

DExEU, as it is known, has also recruited hundreds of staff – and draws on the expertise of another 120 in Brussels. But what about the man at the top of the department?

In the six months since the Brexit vote David Davis has been studiously getting on with the job, to the delight, and, occasionally, surprise of some of the civil servants who work with him.

A number, it has to be said, were nervous about Theresa May’s decision to give the job to the staunch Brexiter.

He is described by those who work with him as very thoughtful. They also praise his pragmatic approach to the business of government. And they are impressed by his meticulous attitude to his work – a retort, perhaps, to accusations of laziness earlier in his political career.

There are also suggestions he acknowledges, more than had been expected, that the UK’s exit package, when it comes, will involve many compromises. Tory ministers are already thinking ahead about how to deal with the fallout from the UK’s “divorce” settlement.

“There will be howls of protest no matter what deal we come up with in the end,” one said. “The key thing – at least in dealing with our side – is that we keep the number of those shouting ‘betrayal’ to a minimum.”

Having a pragmatic Brexit Secretary with his “hands in the blood” could help. Just as those close to Boris Johnson point out the much mocked Foreign Secretary speaks a number of different languages, allies of Mr Davis refer to his years in business, where he spent 17 years at Tate and Lyle.

He stood against David Cameron for the Conservative leadership in 2005 but lost – despite initially being the frontrunner.

And he shocked Westminster by a few years later when he dramatically resigned his seat in order to force a by-election over Labour’s plans to extend pre-charge detention to up to 42 days.

Even those who agreed with him on the issue felt he failed to get across to the wider public why he stood down.

It has not all been plain sailing for Mr Davis in his new job. Mrs May has appeared to hang her Brexit Secretary out to dry a few times since appointing him.

In September after Mr Davis said it was “very improbable” the UK would still be in the EU single market postBrexit, he slapped down by No 10, with Mrs May’s official spokeswoman describing his comment as an “opinion” rather than government policy.

He also faced derision over a leak from a meeting in which he had told City insiders the UK could consider a transitional deal over Brexit to be “kind” to the rest of the EU.

But in a week in which some on the pro-Brexit side have provoked fury in Whitehall by appearing to try to politicise the civil service, one of their number is quietly impressing officials.

‘‘ There are suggestions he acknowledges, more than had been expected, that the UK’s exit package will involve compromises