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The head of the UK Government’s Legal Department resigned amid anger over suggestions that Boris Johnson is planning to overturn elements of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Jonathan Jones’ departure was confirmed by the UK Attorney General’s Office, which declined to comment on the reason for the latest departure in a series of resignations by senior public officials.
the reported Tuesday that Jones would resign as permanent secretary of the department due to a dispute with Downing Street.
British officials were said to have told the newspaper he was leaving over concerns that the prime minister wanted to back down on parts of the Brexit deal related to Northern Ireland.
A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said: “I can confirm that Sir Jonathan has resigned, but I cannot comment further.”
He also resigned as Treasury attorney, and it is the sixth resignation by a senior official this year amid growing tensions between officials and Downing Street as Johnson and his top adviser, Dominic Cummings, plan a reform of Whitehall.
Labor’s shadow attorney general Lord Falconer tweeted: “Jonathan Jones, awesome lawyer and very decent person. Loyal official.
Jonathan Jones awesome lawyer and very decent person. Loyal official. If he can’t stay in public service, there must be something very rotten in this government. Reckless, breaking the law, destroying the best of the UK. https://t.co/HWiziivlTo
– Charlie Falconer (@LordCFalconer) September 8, 2020
“If he cannot remain in public service, there must be something very rotten in this Government. Reckless, breaking the law, destroying the best of the UK. “
The resignation came as the eighth round of trade agreement negotiations between the UK and the EU was to begin in London on Tuesday.
Leading EU figures were dismayed by suggestions that new Brexit legislation to be unveiled on Wednesday could overturn key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by Johnson last year.
The British prime minister’s official spokesman insisted that “limited clarifications” were necessary to ensure that the benefits of the Good Friday Agreement can be preserved in the event that the talks fail.
But the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned that the United Kingdom could not back down on its previous commitments if it wanted to reach a free trade agreement.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warned that abandoning the deal would be “a very unwise way to proceed.”
Cummings has reportedly told his aides that “a heavy rain is coming” for the Civil Service amid plans to remodel Whitehall.
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