HM Authorities
The federal government’s most senior lawyer has turn out to be the sixth main civil servant to face down this 12 months.
Jonathan Jones, everlasting secretary to the Authorities Authorized Division, has resigned and can go away the position in April on the finish of his 5 12 months time period.
Everlasting secretaries lead authorities departments and are among the many most senior civil servants.
A spokesman for the Lawyer Common’s Workplace confirmed Sir Jonathan had resigned however didn’t remark additional.
Sir Jonathan, who’s a QC, was knighted in December 2019 for his authorized companies to the federal government. The honour recognised his work on constitutional points and the EU Withdrawal Settlement.
Resignation
Reporting the information of Sir Jonathan’s resignation, the Monetary Occasions attributed the transfer to “strategies that Boris Johnson is making an attempt to row again on components of final 12 months’s Brexit deal referring to Northern Eire”.
It added that individuals “near Sir Jonathan mentioned he was ‘very sad’ concerning the determination to overwrite components of the Northern Eire protocol, a part of the 2019 withdrawal settlement, with new powers within the UK inner market invoice.”
The federal government has denied that its plans for brand spanking new post-Brexit customs preparations would “tear up” the deal struck between the UK and EU final 12 months.
Sir Jonathan is the newest senior determine in authorities to depart workplace.
Initially of September, Simon Case was appointed as cupboard secretary and head of the civil service, after his predecessor Sir Mark Sedwill stood down.
His exit follows studies of tensions between him and senior members of Boris Johnson’s workforce.
Individually, the federal government has run into opposition from the civil service union to its plan to get many extra officers again to their Whitehall places of work.