Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Secretary)

Roles and responsibilities

The office combined diplomatic, legal and domestic policy work. Key responsibilities included:

• Leading withdrawal negotiations with EU institutions and member states and representing the UK government's position internationally; see the Cabinet context via Cabinet post.
• Overseeing preparation of legislation and administrative measures needed to implement withdrawal and transition arrangements.
• Engaging with devolved administrations, Parliament and stakeholders to explain and secure agreement on the terms of exit.
• Managing a specialist civil service department and cross‑departmental coordination to deliver the political objectives.

History and office holders

The office was established by Prime Minister Theresa May following the 2016 referendum on EU membership (the decision to leave is often referred to as "Brexit"). The inaugural holder was David Davis, who served from the creation of the post in mid‑2016 until his resignation in July 2018. He was followed by Dominic Raab, who held the role briefly in 2018, and then by Stephen Barclay, appointed later that year.

Abolition and legacy

The position and its supporting department were wound down when the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020. After that date, most responsibilities for post‑exit arrangements and future UK–EU relations were transferred to other parts of government. The role is therefore an example of a temporary ministerial office created for a specific constitutional task.

Notable distinctions and context

The Brexit Secretary differed from long‑standing departmental Secretaries of State by being task‑focused and time‑limited. It combined negotiating authority with the need to secure domestic parliamentary approval for arrangements such as the withdrawal agreement and related legislation. For discussion of the wider referendum and the political context, see material on the 2016 vote leave result and analysis of the prime ministerial decisions that led to forming the department and appointing ministers. Further background on the department and the office is available through official summaries and academic analyses about David Davis and about Dominic Raab.

The creation and later abolition of the role illustrate how UK governments can establish specialised Cabinet posts in response to unique constitutional challenges, then dissolve them once the immediate task is completed. For contemporaneous government statements and records, consult official sources linked by government archives and summaries on the Cabinet and departmental materials relating to the department.