Has the UK finally figured out what a Brexit minister does?

The appointment of one-time chief Brexit negotiator David Frost as “minister for Brexit Britain” — as some officials are informally calling him — is the latest attempt to match up a multifaceted policy like Brexit with the hierarchical and tribal structures of Whitehall government. 

It’s an endeavor with a long and not always glorious history. The first attempt way back in summer 2016 involved the perhaps obvious (but nonetheless flawed) approach of simply creating a new government department — the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU), with its own secretary of state.

The problem was that Brexit was so integral to Theresa May’s governing agenda that it quickly became apparent that No. 10 itself needed to retain grip. Which is why although David Davis (Brexit secretary from 2016 to 2018) was ostensibly “Mr. Brexit,” civil servant Olly Robbins — because of a dual role as top official in the Brexit department and also May’s chief adviser on Brexit — was the real power holder. 

Creating a department for Brexit also caused tensions with other parts of Whitehall — most notably the Foreign Office — which wanted more power over the relationship with the EU. 

The key change under Boris Johnson in 2019 was a — probably sensible — recognition that Brexit was too all-encompassing to be farmed out to a separate ministry. DExEU still existed until the U.K.’s departure in January 2020, but it became largely a delivery organization; strategic direction now came clearly from two people at the top: Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, for the domestic delivery of Brexit; and David Frost, for the negotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement and then the future relationship.  

Since the U.K. left the EU, that clear distinction between Gove and Frost has been muddied slightly by the fact that while Frost was in charge of the trade negotiations, Gove has also had direct talks with Brussels as chair of the Joint Committee overseeing the implementation of the exit deal. 

Meanwhile, the various other ways Brexit impacted the U.K. government, be it in terms of new domestic regulations or new trade deals overseas, was left to relevant government departments without an obvious guiding hand at the center. 

Frost’s new role changes that.

He has sweeping responsibilities: He’s the point person for the relationship with the EU (both the Partnership Council set up by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Joint Committee set up by the Withdrawal Agreement); he will work on domestic reforms to “maximize the opportunities of Brexit”; and he will lead coordination of international trade policy. 

He’s basically David Davis, Olly Robbins and Michael Gove all rolled into one. And he’s in Cabinet. A Super Brexit Minister. 

That makes sense when you assess how previous structures have been flawed, but it does raise another risk. So sweeping are his responsibilities that the departments he’s working with — in particular the Foreign Office and the Department for International Trade — might well feel sidelined. 

One thing you can guarantee about Whitehall is that turf wars are never far away. This new type of Brexit minister might be about to start a few. 

This insight is from POLITICO‘s Brexit Files newsletter, a daily afternoon digest of the best coverage and analysis of Britain’s decision to leave the EU available to Brexit Transition Pro subscribers. To request a trial, email [email protected].