Senior diplomat Sir Tim Barrow named as UK’s new ambassador to EU

Sir Tim Barrow replaces Sir Ivan Rogers, who resigned from the role in frustration on Tuesday

4 January 2017, 7:23pm

1 min read

Sir Tim Barrow is the UK's new ambassador to the EU

Senior diplomat Sir Tim Barrow has been appointed as the UK’s new ambassador to the EU, replacing Sir Ivan Rogers who quit on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision means that she has ignored calls from within the Conservative party to appoint a wholehearted Brexiter – possibly even from outside the civil service – to the job.

Rogers, the head of UKRep- effectively the UK embassy in Brussels – resigned in frustration on Tuesday night, urging his fellow civil servants to provide impartial advice and to stand up to muddled thinking. He also made it clear that the UK government lacked an agreed Brexit strategy, as well as a coherent negotiating team.

Barrow was the UK ambassador to Moscow until 2015 and in March 2016 succeeded Sir Simon Gass as political director at the UK Foreign Office. He has extensive EU experience, and has acted as first secretary at UKRep.

May has promised to trigger Article 50, formally kick-starting Brexit negotiations, in March.