The former treasury policy chief resigns from role as EU envoy
ADVERTISEMENTOn Tuesday, Sir Ivan Rogers resigned from his role as envoy to the European Union.
The 56-year old has enjoyed a long career in the British civil service, although his recently vacated role was perhaps his most high profile.
He studied at Balliol College, Oxford University – the same college as former PM’s Edward Heath and Herbert Asquith, and current foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
Rogers early career was spent in the Treasury, where he served as Private Secretary to the then finance minister Kenneth Clarke.
He took his first steps into European politics as Chief of Staff to European Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan.
However, he returned to London under Prime Minister Tony Blair, and was appointed Director of EU Strategy and Policy, and later Director of Budget and Tax policy for finance minister Gordon Brown.
In 2003 Rogers moved from Number 11 Downing Street (the traditional home of the UK’s finance minister), to Number 10, where he became Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Tony Blair.
But in 2006 Rogers moved to the private sector, first as Head of UK Public Sector at Citigroup, and then taking a similar role at Barclays Capital.
Six years after leaving the civil service, Rogers returned as Prime Minister David Cameron’s Advisor for Europe and Global Issues.
A year later, Sir Ivan succeeded Jon Cunliffe as the most senior UK diplomat to Brussels and the EU, the role he quit on Tuesday.
Rogers’ long service was rewarded with a Knighthood in the 2016 New Year Honours, as chosen by the Queen, with advice from central government.
Recently Rogers was accused of pessimism by some, after warning that a UK-EU trade deal could take up to ten years to finalise.
It has not yet been revealed why Rogers resigned, though one pro-Brexit MP Jacob Rees Mogg said “the impartiality of the civil service came into question during the referendum campaign which made the position of the highly intelligent Sir Ivan difficult”.