Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union

Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union or, informally, Brexit Secretary,[1] was the Secretary of State responsible for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, informally referred to as "Brexit". The secretary was overseeing Brexit negotiations following a nationwide referendum on 23 June 2016, in which a majority voted in favour of exiting the EU.[2][3] The office-holder was a member of the Cabinet.

Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
Royal Arms of Her Majesty's Government
Department for Exiting the European Union
Style	Brexit Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and the Commonwealth)
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Seat	Westminster, London
Appointer	The Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister
Term length	At Her Majesty's pleasure
Formation	13 July 2016
First holder	David Davis
Final holder	Stephen Barclay
Abolished	31 January 2020

Part of a series of articles on
Brexit
Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union Glossary of terms
Background Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom United Kingdom opt-outs from EU legislation Campaigns for a referendum People's Pledge Labour for a Referendum Bloomberg speech Project Fear Brexit: The Movie In or Out 2013–14 EU (Referendum) Bill (unsuccessful) 2015–16 EU membership renegotiation 2015 EU Referendum Act (Gibraltar) Opinion polling on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union
2016 Referendum Issues Endorsements Opinion polling Results Causes for result International reactions Allegations of unlawful campaigning Immediate aftermath 2016 Conservative Party election 2016 Labour Party election 2016 UKIP election Department for Exiting the EU Department for International Trade Campaigns Leave campaigns Vote Leave (official) Business for Britain Conservatives for Britain Students for Britain BeLeave Leave.EU Bpoplive The Freedom Association Better Off Out Grassroots Out Labour Leave Get Britain Out Bruges Group Campaign for an Independent Britain Remain campaigns Britain Stronger in Europe (official) Labour In for Britain European Movement UK Britain in Europe British Influence Business for New Europe Nucleus
Notice of withdrawal Article 50 process R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017
Negotiations Negotiation positions EU negotiation mandate Chequers agreement Timeline: 2017, 2018, 2019
Withdrawal agreement Brexit divorce bill Irish backstop No-deal Brexit Continuing United Kingdom relationship with the European Union
Parliamentary votes Withdrawal Act 2018 (Gibraltar) Cooper–Letwin Act Benn Act Public Vote Bill (not passed) Terms of Withdrawal Bills (not passed) Scottish EU Continuity Bill (blocked) Withdrawal Agreement Act (Gibraltar) European Union (Future Relationship) Bill (pending)
Impact Impact on the Irish border Good Friday Agreement Effect on Scotland's constitutional position Impact on the EU Economic effects Effects on Gibraltar Scientific cooperation
EU–UK relations United Kingdom–European Union relations Trade deal negotiation between the UK and EU EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Partnership Council Relations with EU Member States Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Akrotiri and Dhekelia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Ireland-UK Border British–Irish Council North/South Ministerial Council Italy Lithuania Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Spain Status of Gibraltar Gibraltar–Spain Border Sweden Conjectured EEA membership
Opposition in the UK Post-referendum opinion polling New initiatives Change Britain More United Open Britain The New European Unite to Remain Led By Donkeys Revoke Article 50 petition Postcards from the 48% Proposed second Scottish independence referendum Calls for a second referendum People's Vote Britain for Europe European Movement UK For our Future's Sake Healthier IN the EU InFacts Open Britain Our Future Our Choice Scientists for EU Other organisations Best for Britain Bollocks to Brexit Change UK Liberal Democrats Right to Vote
Timeline Bloomberg speech Jan 2013 European Parliament election May 2014 2015 general election May 2015 Renegotiation begins Jun 2015 Referendum Act passed Dec 2015 Renegotiation concluded Feb 2016 Referendum held Jun 2016 Theresa May becomes PM Jul 2016 Article 50 judgement Jan 2017 Notification Act passed Mar 2017 Article 50 invoked Mar 2017 2017 general election Jun 2017 Brexit negotiations begin Jun 2017 Withdrawal Act passed Jun 2018 Chequers plan presented Jul 2018 Withdrawal agreement released Nov 2018 Meaningful votes Jan–Mar 2019 Brexit delayed until 12 April Mar 2019 Cooper–Letwin Act passed Apr 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 October Apr 2019 European Parliament election May 2019 Boris Johnson becomes PM Jul 2019 Prorogation & annulment Aug-Sep 2019 Benn Act passed Sep 2019 Withdrawal agreement revised Oct 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 January Oct 2019 2019 general election Dec 2019 Agreement Act passed Jan 2020 UK leaves the EU Jan 2020 Implementation period begins Jan 2020 UK-EU trade deal agreed Dec 2020 Future Relationship Act passed Dec 2020 Implementation period ends Dec 2020 New EU-UK relationship begins Jan 2021
EU portal ·  UK portal

Part of a series of articles on
UK membership of the European Union (1973-2020)
Accession Treaty of Accession 1972 1972 EC Act 1973 enlargement of the EC
1975 referendum Referendum Act (results)
Treaty amendments Single European Act, 1986 (UK ratification) Maastricht Treaty, 1992 (UK ratification) Treaty of Amsterdam, 1997 (UK ratification) Treaty of Nice, 2001 (UK ratification) Treaty of Lisbon, 2007 (UK ratification) Related: 2011 UK Act on new EU Treaty amendments EU-related British Acts Proposed European Constitution referendum European Union Bill 2004–2005
MEPs for UK constituencies Members 1973–1979 (elected by parliament) Members 1979–1984 (1979 election) Members 1984–1989 (1984 election) Members 1989–1994 (1989 election) Members 1994–1999 (1994 election) Members 1999–2004 (1999 election) Members 2004–2009 (2004 election) Members 2009–2014 (2009 election) Members 2014–2019 (2014 election) Members 2019–2020 (2019 election) Women
Officials and bodies House of Lords EU Committee House of Commons EU Committee Permanent EU Representatives for UK Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels EU Representative in London UK European Commissioners Department for Exiting the European Union
Issues and events Economy The Euro Black Wednesday UK budget rebate Nationality law Euroscepticism in the UK United Kingdom opt-outs from EU legislation Maastricht Rebels
Withdrawal 2015–2016 membership renegotiation 2016 EU membership referendum Vote Leave Britain Stronger in Europe Notification of withdrawal Brexit negotiations Impact of Brexit Future relationship Withdrawal agreement No-deal Brexit Impact on Irish border Northern Ireland Protocol Parliamentary votes Proposed second referendum
EU portal ·  UK portal

This article is part of a series on
Politics of the United Kingdom
Constitution Sovereignty Rule of law Law Taxation
The Crown The Monarch Elizabeth II Heir Apparent Charles, Prince of Wales Royal family Succession Prerogative
Executive Privy Council Elizabeth II (Queen-in-Council) HM Government Prime Minister Boris Johnson (C) First Secretary of State Dominic Raab (C) Cabinet Departments Ministers Agencies
Legislature UK Parliament Elizabeth II (Queen-in-Parliament) House of Lords Lord Speaker The Lord Fowler House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer (L) Act of Parliament 58th Parliament Opposition List of MP’s
Judiciary Elizabeth II (Queen-on-the-Bench) Supreme Court President The Lord Reed Deputy President The Lord Hodge Justices of the Supreme Court UK England and Wales Scotland NI
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Deputy Governors Monetary Policy Committee Currencies Banknotes Coins
Elections UK Parliament Constituencies Political parties Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 Scottish Parliament Constituencies and Electoral Regions Welsh Parliament Constituencies and Electoral Regions UK General Elections 1801 co-option 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 1820 1826 1830 1831 1832–33 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 1910 (Jan–Feb) 1910 (Dec) 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974 (Feb) 1974 (Oct) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 Next European Parliament Elections (1979–2019) 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 Scottish Parliament Elections 1999 2003 2007 2011 2016 Next Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 1998 2003 2007 2011 2016 2017 Next Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) Elections 1999 2003 2007 2011 2016 Next UK Referendums 1975 2011 2016
Devolution Joint Ministerial Committee Legislative consent motions  England Governance of England English votes for English laws Greater London Authority 1998 Referendum Greater London Authority Act 1999 (2007 Act) Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Mayoral cabinet London Assembly London Plan Combined authorities Metro mayors Cornwall Council Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Act 1998 (2006 Act) First Minister Arlene Foster deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill Executive Assembly Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland law  Scotland 1997 Referendum Scotland Act 1998 (2012 Act, 2016 Act) First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Government Scottish Parliament Act of the Scottish Parliament Scottish statutory instrument Scottish law  Wales 1997 Referendum (2011 Referendum on law-making powers) Government of Wales Act 1998 (2006 Act, Wales Act 2014, Wales Act 2017) First Minister Mark Drakeford Government Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) Measure of the National Assembly for Wales (1999–2011) Act of the Welsh Parliament Welsh law
Administration England History Subdivisions: Regions Ceremonial counties (list) Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties Metropolitan county Non-metropolitan county Greater London Unitary authorities (list) Districts (list) Metropolitan Borough Non-metropolitan District London Borough Civil parishes (list) Historic counties Northern Ireland History Subdivisions: Counties Districts Scotland History Subdivisions: Sheriffdoms Council areas Community council areas Civil parishes Shires of Scotland Wales History Preserved counties Principal areas Communities (list) Historic counties
Crown dependencies Bailiwick of Guernsey ( Guernsey  Alderney  Sark)  Bailiwick of Jersey  Isle of Man British Islands Common Travel Area
Overseas Territories  Akrotiri and Dhekelia  Anguilla  Bermuda  British Antarctic Territory  British Indian Ocean Territory  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Falkland Islands  Gibraltar  Montserrat  Pitcairn Islands  Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ( Saint Helena  Ascension Island  Tristan da Cunha)  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  Turks and Caicos Islands British Overseas Territories citizen Visa requirements Visa policies British Overseas Territories Act 2002 Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute Gibraltar sovereignty dispute Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
Foreign relations Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Foreign policy (History) Diplomatic missions of / in the United Kingdom UK Passport UK National (Overseas) Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Australia Canada China Hong Kong France Germany India New Zealand Russia Singapore United States Ireland Politics of Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement UK–Ireland border Brexit and the Irish border British–Irish Council European Union (History) Brexit Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union UK–EU Withdrawal Agreement The Commonwealth Member states of the Commonwealth United Kingdom and the United Nations United Nations Security Council P5 NATO G20 G7
United Kingdom portal Other countries

The position was created at the outset of the premiership of Theresa May, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 13 July 2016.[4] May reportedly ordered civil servants to find a building to house a new Department for Exiting the European Union, to be headed by the Secretary of State.[5] The headquarters of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) at Whitehall Place, which was to be vacated once the DECC was merged into the newly created Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, was viewed as a potential site for the department.[3] The department now occupies 9 Downing Street.

The inaugural holder was David Davis MP,[4] a longtime Eurosceptic who campaigned for the UK to leave the EU.[6] Davis is a former chairman of the Conservative Party who served in the government of John Major as Minister of State for Europe (1994–97) and in the Shadow Cabinet of David Cameron as Shadow Home Secretary.[7]

Davis resigned on 8 July 2018 shortly before midnight; Dominic Raab was appointed on 9 July as his replacement and resigned on 15 November 2018.[8] Stephen Barclay, who had been serving as Minister of State for Health, was selected as Raab's successor on 16 November 2018.[9]

The Minister of State for Exiting the European Union deputised for the Secretary of State.

This page also includes the portfolios of Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

The position was shadowed in Parliament by the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union who was also a full member of Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet.

The office was abolished on 31 January 2020, as the United Kingdom left the European Union.[10]