# Department for Exiting the European Union

The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU; also known as the Department for Brexit or Brexit Department) was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for overseeing negotiations relating to Brexit, and establishing the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU. It was formed by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, in July 2016, in the wake of the referendum vote to leave the European Union. The department was dissolved on 31 January 2020 when Brexit took effect.
The department was formed by combining staff from the Cabinet Office’s Europe Unit, the Europe Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the United Kingdom's Permanent Representation to the EU, and was able to take on staff from other government departments as necessary. The department was overseen by David Davis MP until he resigned on 8 July 2018. Dominic Raab was appointed as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on 9 July 2018, but resigned on 15 November 2018 over the draft withdrawal agreement. His replacement was announced on 16 November 2018 to be Steve Barclay.
Part of a series of articles on :
Brexit :
Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Glossary of terms :
Background
European Communities Act
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Timeline Bloomberg speech Jan 2013 Referendum Bill blockedJan 2014 European Parliament election May 2014 2015 general election May 2015 Renegotiation begins Jun 2015 Referendum Act passed Dec 2015 Renegotiation concluded Feb 2016 Referendum held Jun 2016 David Cameron resigns as PM Jul 2016 Theresa May becomes PM Jul 2016 Article 50 judgement Jan 2017 Brexit plan presentedFeb 2017 Notification Act passed Mar 2017 Article 50 invoked Mar 2017 Repeal Bill plan presentedMar 2017 2017 general election Jun 2017 Brexit negotiations begin Jun 2017 Withdrawal Act passedJun 2018 Chequers plan presented Jul 2018 Withdrawal agreement plan presented July 2018 Withdrawal agreement released Nov 2018 Scottish Continuity Bill blockedDec 2018 Meaningful votes Jan–Mar 2019 Brexit delayed until 12 April Mar 2019 Cooper–Letwin Act passed Apr 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 October Apr 2019 European Parliament election May 2019 Theresa May resigns as PM Jul 2019 Boris Johnson becomes PM Jul 2019 Prorogation and annulment Aug–Sep 2019 Benn Act passed Sep 2019 Withdrawal agreement revised Oct 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 January Oct 2019 2019 general election Dec 2019 Agreement Act passed Jan 2020 UK leaves the European Union Jan 2020 Implementation period begins Jan 2020 UK–EU trade deal agreed Dec 2020 Future Relationship Act passed Dec 2020 Scottish Continuity Act passed Dec 2020 Implementation period ends Dec 2020 New EU–UK relationship begins Jan 2021 UK–EU trade deal ratified Apr 2021 Windsor Framework released Feb 2023 Windsor framework adopted Mar 2023 :
EU portal
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vte :
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UK membership of the European Union (1973–2020) :
Accession
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Treaty amendments Single European Act, 1986 (UK ratification) Maastricht Treaty, 1992 (UK ratification) Treaty of Amsterdam, 1997 (UK ratification) Treaty of Nice, 2001 (UK ratification) Treaty of Lisbon, 2007 (UK ratification)
Related:
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Women :
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Department for Exiting the European Union :
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Black Wednesday
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Maastricht Rebels
Balance of Competences Review :
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vte :

## Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the department included:
* Achieve the best possible outcome for the UK's departure from the EU; and build a new ambitious, deep and special future partnership between the UK and the EU.
* Coordinate delivery and legislation across government, to ensure the UK is prepared for all scenarios, including a smooth transition to our future relationship with the European Union.
* Engage with Parliament, Member States and interested parties at home and abroad to shape a successful exit from the EU and to help build an ambitious future relationship.

## Ministers

The Ministers in the Department for Exiting the European Union were as follows:
| Minister | Rank | Portfolio |
| The Rt Hon. Steve Barclay MP | Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union | Overall responsibility for the work of the department; including work to support the UK's negotiations to leave the EU and to conduct the negotiations in support of the Prime Minister |
| The Rt Hon. The Lord Callanan | Minister of State for Exiting the European Union | Departmental business in the House of Lords, EU ongoing business, general affairs council, JMC(E), civil society, and EU institutions |
| James Duddridge MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union | Legislation and constitution; citizens and networks (including justice, data and Near Neighbours); market access, trade and Future Economic Partnership; security; Northern Ireland and Ireland; business engagement (including SME champion); Devolved Administrations; English Regions; Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. |
The first Permanent Secretary at the department was Oliver Robbins. In September 2017, Robbins left the department as the prime minister appointed him the EU adviser in the Cabinet Office. In October 2017, Philip Rycroft was appointed the new Permanent Secretary, having previously been the department's Second Permanent Secretary. After his departure in March 2019, he was replaced by Clare Moriarty, previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

## Senior management

The department's senior management team included:
* Permanent Secretary: Clare Moriarty
* UK Permanent Representative to the EU: Sir Tim Barrow KCMG LVO MBE
** Director General – Emma Ward
** Director General – Simon Ridley
** Acting Director General – Anna Clunes
** Director for Legislation & Constitution – Emma Payne
** Director for Analysis – Ben Cropper
** Co-Director for Market Access and Budget – Chris Hobley
** Co-Director for Market Access and Budget & DExEU Chief Scientific Adviser – Eoin Parker
** Director for Negotiations Strategy – Rhys Bowen
** Co-Director for Citizens and Networks – Rebecca Evernden
** Co-Director for Citizens and Networks – Nicola Webb
** Director for Security, Territories and Ongoing Business – VACANT
** Co-Director for Communications & Stakeholders – Olivier Evans
** Co-Director for Communications & Stakeholders – Simon Baugh
** Director for Business Engagement & Readiness – Nathan Phillips
** Co-Director for Domestic Policy & Implementation (Policy) – David Lamberti
** Co-Director for Domestic Policy & Implementation (Implementation) – Colin Dingwall
** Co-Director for Corporate Centre – Helen Mills
** Co-Director for Corporate Centre – Kate Caulkin
** DExEU Legal Advisers – Cathy Adams and Daniel Denman

## Staff

In March 2018 government data stated the department had 636 full-time equivalent posts, rising to 651 in August 2018 (excluding contractors, management consultants and fast streamers) on an average (mean) monthly wage of £5,890 including allowances.