Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
Royal Arms of Her Majesty's Government
Longest serving David Davis 13 July 2016 - 8 July 2018
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	Steve 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 European Communities Act 1975 EC membership referendum UK rebate Bruges speech No. No. No. Maastricht Rebels Black Wednesday European Union (Amendment) Act 2008 European Union Act 2011 UK opt-outs from EU legislation Euroscepticism in the UK UK opinion polling on EU membership Campaigns for a referendum People's Pledge Labour for a Referendum Bloomberg speech In or Out 2013–14 EU (Referendum) Bill (unsuccessful) 2014 European Parliament election 2014 UK Parliament by-elections Clacton Heywood and Middleton Rochester and Strood 2015 UK general election 2015–16 EU membership renegotiation
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Part of a series of articles on
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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
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Withdrawal 2015 UK general election 2015–2016 membership renegotiation 2016 EU membership referendum Vote Leave Britain Stronger in Europe Notification of withdrawal 2017 UK general election Brexit negotiations Impact of Brexit Future relationship Withdrawal agreement No-deal Brexit Impact on Irish border Northern Ireland Protocol Parliamentary votes Proposed second referendum 2019 UK general election
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Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union or, informally, Brexit Secretary,^[1] was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the business of the Department for Exiting the European Union, as well as for the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU), informally referred to as "Brexit". The secretary of state oversaw Brexit negotiations following a 2016 referendum, in which a majority of those who voted were in favour of exiting the EU.^[2][3] The officeholder was a member of the Cabinet.

The position was created on 13 July 2016, at the outset of the premiership of Theresa May.^[4] The office was abolished on 31 January 2020, during the premiership of Boris Johnson, as the United Kingdom left the European Union.^[5] A new cabinet position of Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency was later created.^[6]

The Minister of State for Exiting the European Union deputised for the secretary of state. The corresponding shadow minister was the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. The secretary of state was also scrutinised by the Exiting the European Union Select Committee.^[7]

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

History

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.^[8] 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 later occupied 9 Downing Street.

The inaugural holder was David Davis MP,^[4] a longtime Eurosceptic who campaigned for the UK to leave the EU.^[9] 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.^[10]

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.^[11] Steve Barclay, who had been serving as Minister of State for Health, was selected as Raab's successor on 16 November 2018.^[12]

List of secretaries of state for exiting the European Union (Brexit secretaries)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative

Portrait		Name	Term of office		Length of term	Party	Prime Minister		Ref.
		David Davis MP for Haltemprice and Howden	13 July 2016	8 July 2018	1 year, 11 months and 25 days	Conservative		Theresa May	[13]
		Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton	9 July 2018	15 November 2018	4 months and 6 days				[14]
		Steve Barclay MP for North East Cambridgeshire	16 November 2018	31 January 2020	1 year, 2 months and 15 days				[12]
								Boris Johnson

List of chief negotiators for exiting the European Union

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative

Portrait		Name	Term of office		Length of term	Party	Prime Minister
		David Davis MP for Haltemprice and Howden	13 July 2016	18 September 2017	1 year, 2 months and 5 days	Conservative		Theresa May
		Olly Robbins Prime Minister's Europe Adviser	18 September 2017	24 July 2019	1 year, 10 months and 6 days	Civil service
		David Frost Prime Minister's Europe Adviser	29 July 2019	31 January 2020	6 months and 2 days			Boris Johnson

List of ministers of state for exiting the European Union

Colour key (for political parties):

  Conservative

Portrait		Name	Term of office		Length of term	Party	Prime Minister
		David Jones[15] MP for Clwyd West	17 July 2016	12 June 2017	10 months and 26 days	Conservative		Theresa May
		The Baroness Anelay of St Johns[16]	12 June 2017	27 October 2017	4 months and 15 days
		The Lord Callanan[17]	27 October 2017	31 January 2020	2 years, 3 months and 4 days
								Boris Johnson

List of parliamentary under-secretaries of state for exiting the European Union

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative

Portrait		Name	Term of office		Length of term	Party	Prime Minister
		The Lord Bridges of Headley	13 July 2016	12 June 2017	10 months and 30 days	Conservative		Theresa May
		Steve Baker MP for Wycombe	13 June 2017	9 July 2018	1 year and 26 days
		Chris Heaton-Harris MP for Daventry	9 July 2018	3 April 2019	8 months and 25 days
		James Cleverly MP for Braintree	4 April 2019	24 July 2019	3 months and 20 days
		Suella Braverman MP for Fareham	9 January 2018	15 November 2018	4 months and 6 days
		Kwasi Kwarteng MP for Spelthorne	16 November 2018	24 July 2019	8 months and 8 days
		Robin Walker MP for Worcester	17 July 2016	26 July 2019	3 years and 9 days
		James Duddridge MP for Rochford and Southend East	27 July 2019	31 January 2020	6 months and 4 days			Boris Johnson