
Former Brexit negotiator Sir Oliver Robbins is expected to be appointed as the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, the BBC understands. He will take over from Sir Philip Barton, who became permanent secretary in 2020 but decided to step down this month before the end of the full five-year term achieved by his predecessors. It is understood Sir Oliver did not initially apply for the role, but will now return to the civil service to take the job - having left in 2019 after overseeing the Brexit negotiations....