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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Olly Robbins: the Brexit sherpa hardened by the Brown-Blair piques | Olly Robbins: the Brexit sherpa hardened by the Brown-Blair piques |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The key man in the background at the EU talks is known for his ability to chart a neutral course between warring parties | |
| Peter Walker Political correspondent | |
| Fri 8 Dec 2017 15.15 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 18 Dec 2017 12.57 GMT | |
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| Friday’s key Brexit deal photo shows a slightly bleary-eyed Theresa May and David Davis grinning across the breakfast orange juice at their EU counterparts. There is a third figure on the British side of the table, less well-known but arguably just as vital: Olly Robbins. | Friday’s key Brexit deal photo shows a slightly bleary-eyed Theresa May and David Davis grinning across the breakfast orange juice at their EU counterparts. There is a third figure on the British side of the table, less well-known but arguably just as vital: Olly Robbins. |
| The 42-year-old career civil servant, who in September moved from Davis’s Brexit department to work directly for May, was the lead UK “sherpa” in the talks, the official tasked with pinning down details and ironing out difficulties. | The 42-year-old career civil servant, who in September moved from Davis’s Brexit department to work directly for May, was the lead UK “sherpa” in the talks, the official tasked with pinning down details and ironing out difficulties. |
| It is one of the more tricky civil service tasks imaginable but Robbins, who has had a meteoric rise through the Whitehall ranks, is renowned for his grasp of detail, appetite for work and ability to chart a neutral course between warring parties. | It is one of the more tricky civil service tasks imaginable but Robbins, who has had a meteoric rise through the Whitehall ranks, is renowned for his grasp of detail, appetite for work and ability to chart a neutral course between warring parties. |
| It probably helped that one of his early civil service roles after the obligatory degree in PPE from Oxford was amid a perhaps even more suspicious atmosphere, as he helped Gordon Brown’s Treasury liaise with Downing Street under Tony Blair. | It probably helped that one of his early civil service roles after the obligatory degree in PPE from Oxford was amid a perhaps even more suspicious atmosphere, as he helped Gordon Brown’s Treasury liaise with Downing Street under Tony Blair. |
| Robbins rose at great speed and by the age of 31 was Blair’s principal private secretary, or head of the prime minister’s personal office, a role he kept for a period when Brown moved into No 10. | Robbins rose at great speed and by the age of 31 was Blair’s principal private secretary, or head of the prime minister’s personal office, a role he kept for a period when Brown moved into No 10. |
| Subsequent roles included more than three years as David Cameron’s deputy national security adviser, during which time he was closely involved in government attempts to retrieve files passed to the Guardian by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden. | Subsequent roles included more than three years as David Cameron’s deputy national security adviser, during which time he was closely involved in government attempts to retrieve files passed to the Guardian by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden. |
| Robbins’ role in the Snowden case included directly contacting the Guardian’s then editor, Alan Rusbridger, to insist that if the files were not immediately destroyed the government would take action against the newspaper. | Robbins’ role in the Snowden case included directly contacting the Guardian’s then editor, Alan Rusbridger, to insist that if the files were not immediately destroyed the government would take action against the newspaper. |
| Robbins later claimed that the Snowden revelations could lead to “widespread loss of life”, although no evidence was ever provided to back this up. | Robbins later claimed that the Snowden revelations could lead to “widespread loss of life”, although no evidence was ever provided to back this up. |
| After a move from No 10 to the Cabinet Office as director general of the civil service, leading on reform of the service, Robbins joined May, when she was home secretary, as the civil servant in charge of immigration policy, a period that included one of his trickier public encounters. | After a move from No 10 to the Cabinet Office as director general of the civil service, leading on reform of the service, Robbins joined May, when she was home secretary, as the civil servant in charge of immigration policy, a period that included one of his trickier public encounters. |
| Giving evidence to the home affairs select committee, Robbins upset MPs with a series of what they saw as evasive answers to queries about the border force budget. He was threatened with being held in contempt of parliament before the committee chair, the Labour MP Keith Vaz, ordered him to leave and find out the answers. | Giving evidence to the home affairs select committee, Robbins upset MPs with a series of what they saw as evasive answers to queries about the border force budget. He was threatened with being held in contempt of parliament before the committee chair, the Labour MP Keith Vaz, ordered him to leave and find out the answers. |
| What has happened? | What has happened? |
| The UK and European commission have agreed on a text that completes the first stage of Brexit negotiations, focusing on three areas: the rights of EU and UK nationals in each other's territories, the financial settlement the UK will pay, and arrangements for the Irish border. Assuming this is approved by the European council, talks can move on to the second phase, including future trade. | The UK and European commission have agreed on a text that completes the first stage of Brexit negotiations, focusing on three areas: the rights of EU and UK nationals in each other's territories, the financial settlement the UK will pay, and arrangements for the Irish border. Assuming this is approved by the European council, talks can move on to the second phase, including future trade. |
| Is everything sorted out? | Is everything sorted out? |
| Not really. The big decisions on Northern Ireland have largely been kicked down the road. For example, if future arrangements cannot avoid a hard border, the UK will “maintain full alignment" with internal market rules – the specifics remain vague. | Not really. The big decisions on Northern Ireland have largely been kicked down the road. For example, if future arrangements cannot avoid a hard border, the UK will “maintain full alignment" with internal market rules – the specifics remain vague. |
| Where does this leave the Brexiters? | Where does this leave the Brexiters? |
| The EU's agreement to move on with the talks means Brexit now seems inevitable, barring a major surprise. Brexiters are likely to be less pleased that May has been forced to agree to more or less all the EU’s demands, including a bill of about £40bn. | The EU's agreement to move on with the talks means Brexit now seems inevitable, barring a major surprise. Brexiters are likely to be less pleased that May has been forced to agree to more or less all the EU’s demands, including a bill of about £40bn. |
| Where does this leave the Democratic Unionist party? | Where does this leave the Democratic Unionist party? |
| Watching and waiting. May somehow got its approval for the deal – perhaps by stressing that it would otherwise be blamed for halting Brexit. The DUP leader, Arlene Foster, said the new text remained worrying in areas such as the possible need for regulatory alignment. | Watching and waiting. May somehow got its approval for the deal – perhaps by stressing that it would otherwise be blamed for halting Brexit. The DUP leader, Arlene Foster, said the new text remained worrying in areas such as the possible need for regulatory alignment. |
| After the Brexit referendum, Robbins moved to the newly formed Brexit department under Davis, as the permanent secretary, the lead civil servant. But after little more than a year he was back at the Cabinet Office to work directly for May on the Brexit talks. | After the Brexit referendum, Robbins moved to the newly formed Brexit department under Davis, as the permanent secretary, the lead civil servant. But after little more than a year he was back at the Cabinet Office to work directly for May on the Brexit talks. |
| With the official title of the prime minister’s Europe adviser, Robbins leads a small “Europe unit” that works closely with the Brexit department. | With the official title of the prime minister’s Europe adviser, Robbins leads a small “Europe unit” that works closely with the Brexit department. |
| His move was viewed at the time as a sign of tensions in the Brexit department, which after June’s general election had already lost two ministers. But in retrospect it could be seen as a sign of May taking a more personal grip on the process, and keeping the most important official under her control. | His move was viewed at the time as a sign of tensions in the Brexit department, which after June’s general election had already lost two ministers. But in retrospect it could be seen as a sign of May taking a more personal grip on the process, and keeping the most important official under her control. |
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