Ex-Brexit chief accused of undermining Britain after calling on UK to rejoin EU

Susanna Siddell
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:11:11 +0000

A former Civil Service chief, who headed up the Brexit Department, has been accused of undermining Britain after calling the UK to rejoin the European Union.

The former Permanent Secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, Philip Rycroft, said leaving the EU did not serve the country.

The civil servant, who worked for the department from 2017 until 2019, claimed that Britain needed a "clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests", The Times reported.

But ex-chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost hit back at Mr Rycroft's comments, saying his remarks were "simply revealing" the challenges of disentangling itself from Brussels in the first place.

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"Much of the bureaucracy simply didn't want to (leave). They now see an opportunity to undo it," he said.

He further pointed to the anxiety fuelling among the Civil Service over the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins, who had also taken part in Brexit negotiations.

Meanwhile, Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage weighed in on the matter, saying the former civil servant "helped to vandalise Brexit".

The Brexit supremo slammed: "Philip Rycroft helped to vandalise Brexit and is not a neutral civil servant.

"He is an enemy of democracy who seeks to choke the funding of political opponents he disagrees with."

The Prime Minister has insisted the UK would not rejoin the EU's single market - nor its customs union.

But top figures within his party have pushed for Sir Keir to U-turn on this promise.

Back in March, Sir Sadiq Khan urged Labour to campaign to rejoin the EU at the next election - without giving Britain a dedicated referendum on reversing Brexit.

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The London Mayor insisted Britain's return to the Brussels bloc was “inevitable” during an interview with Italy's La Repubblica Magazine, while setting out a five-point plan to see the UK revive the European relationship.

Sir Sadiq told the Italian outlet: "I'm quite clear. I see on a daily basis the damage Brexit has done - not just to London, but to Londoners.

"Economically, socially and culturally the damage is humongous."

Like Sir Sadiq, Rachel Reeves has been quick to place the blame of a dwindling economy onto the impact of Brexit.

As a result, Labour has pushed for a closer relationship with EU member states, despite the public voting against the move 10 years ago.

At the start of the month, when Sir Keir held a conference to discuss the economic damage by the Iran war, he said Brexit did "deep damage to our economy".

The claim formed part of his argument that "our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe" - including "closer economic cooperation".

Labour, armed with its current plans, will seek to bring back 76 EU directives while seeking closer alignment with European member states, which Ms Reeves insisted was in the "national interest".