Olly Robbins

Sir Oliver Robbins
Born	(1975-04-20) April 20, 1975 Lambeth, London, England
Occupation(s)	Civil servant, investment advisor
Years active	1996–present
Known for	Prime Minister's Europe Adviser and lead Brexit negotiator (2017–2019), Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office (2025–present)
Notable work	Lead Brexit negotiator for the UK government

Sir Oliver Robbins (born 20 April 1975) is a distinguished British civil servant who held the role of Prime Minister's Europe Adviser and lead Brexit negotiator from 2017 until 2019. He was appointed as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office in 2025. Robbins was a polarizing figure among Brexit advocates, largely due to his reputation for a pro-European approach.

From July 2016 to September 2017, Robbins served as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, having previously been the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Europe and Global Issues between June and July 2016. After leaving government service in 2019, he spent six years working as an investment advisor with Goldman Sachs until his 2025 return to public office.

Before focusing on EU-related responsibilities, Robbins held key roles including Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Second Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

Early life and education

Born in Lambeth on 20 April 1975 to Derek and Diana Robbins, his father Derek is an Emeritus Professor of international social theory at the University of East London, with expertise in French post-structuralist theory and Pierre Bourdieu’s scholarship. His mother worked as a civil servant before leaving her career to raise their children. Robbins attended Colfe's School, an independent school located in Lee, London.

He pursued a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Hertford College, Oxford, completing his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1996. During his time at Oxford, Robbins led the Oxford Reform Club, which championed a federal European Union, earning him the nickname "Sir Humphrey" after the character Sir Humphrey Appleby from Yes Minister.

Early career

Robbins began his civil service career with HM Treasury in 1996. He held the position of Head of Corporate and Private Finance between 2003 and 2006, followed by a brief period as Head of Defence, Diplomacy and Intelligence finance. In 2006, he was appointed as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, serving during the leadership transition from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown. After a short stint as Director of the Office, he transferred to the Cabinet Office where he became Director of Intelligence and Security.

Under David Cameron’s government starting in 2010, Robbins was named Deputy National Security Advisor, responsible for intelligence, security, and resilience matters. In this capacity, he negotiated with The Guardian to restrict coverage related to Edward Snowden’s leaks on CIA and GCHQ activities. The Guardian characterized him as "steely but punctiliously polite."

In January 2014, Robbins advanced to Director-General, Civil Service within the Cabinet Office. By September 2015, he transitioned to the Home Office as Second Permanent Secretary alongside Mark Sedwill, managing immigration policy, free movement regulations, border controls, and citizenship frameworks. During this period, he was asked to leave a Home Affairs Select Committee session after providing answers deemed "unsatisfactory" regarding Border Force funding and subsequently did not submit required follow-up information later that day.

Adviser on European Union matters

In July 2016, Robbins was designated head of the European and Global Issues Secretariat, providing counsel to the Prime Minister on EU affairs and managing the UK's withdrawal process from the European Union. Soon thereafter, this secretariat evolved into the Department for Exiting the European Union, where Robbins held the position of permanent secretary. By September 2017, he shifted to serve as Prime Minister Theresa May's chief Brexit advisor. His close working relationship with May earned him the nickname of her consigliere, and he received commendations from supporters of all four Prime Ministers under whom he served.

Robbins's involvement in negotiating the UK's EU departure agreement attracted criticism from certain Conservative MPs, who accused him of participating in an anti-Brexit "establishment conspiracy" and labeled him "secretive," drawing parallels to Grigori Rasputin. Acting Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill defended Robbins by underscoring that civil servants execute the policies set by elected officials, noting that similar threats had been directed at other senior officials such as HMRC Permanent Secretary Jon Thompson. In reaction, Andrew Adonis remarked that civil servants must anticipate criticism and have the option to focus on different policy areas. Additionally, a group of former military and intelligence figures connected with pro-Brexit organization Veterans for Britain—including ex-MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove—raised concerns about Robbins's handling of UK-EU defence and security collaboration after Brexit. Leigh Lewis, former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, supported Sedwill’s defense by highlighting that senior civil servants face occupational risks when held responsible for ministers' politically driven decisions within a challenging environment.

Subsequent career developments

Following Theresa May's resignation announcement, Robbins declared his intention to step down in June 2019. He subsequently accepted the Heywood Fellowship at the Blavatnik School of Government in September 2019 before transitioning to Goldman Sachs as a managing director in investment banking. There, he worked alongside former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, who was serving as non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International.

Robbins was shortlisted for the position of Cabinet Secretary and reached the final three candidates alongside Sir Chris Wormald, Dame Antonia Romeo, and Tamara Finkelstein. Chris Wormald was ultimately appointed in December 2024.

Permanent Under-Secretary at FCDO

On 8 January 2025, Robbins was named Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for a five-year tenure, succeeding Sir Philip Barton.

Personal details

Robbins married Sherry Birkbeck in 2005 and they have three children. He is recognized as one of the tallest individuals within the British establishment and holds membership at the National Liberal Club.

Awards and honours

Robbins received appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours for his public service contributions. Later, he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George during the 2019 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours.

External links

• Oliver Robbins profile featured on BBC Radio 4
• Olly Robbins | Financial Times