Former Permanent Secretary of the Department for Exiting the European Union Clare Moriarty has today announced that she will leave the Civil Service.
This comes after the department successfully completed its work in delivering on the result of the referendum and securing a successful exit from the EU on 31 January.
Clare has held a number of critical roles in the Civil Service, previously as Permanent Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2019. Prior to this she worked in the Department for Transport, latterly as Director General for Rail, and in the Ministry of Justice as Constitution Director.
Clare has long demonstrated commitment to leadership and change which is why she was called upon by Civil Service World to give their inaugural lecture on leadership in 2018. She has consistently promoted diversity and inclusion as the Civil Service Champion for Faith and Belief.
Government leaders have paid tribute to Clare's dedication and 35 years of public service.
Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Sir Mark Sedwill said:
I'm enormously grateful to Clare for the exceptional leadership she demonstrated as Permanent Secretary of DExEU and previously at DEFRA. She made an immeasurable contribution to both those departments during periods of great challenge, in addition to many years of dedicated public service in a number of other civil service roles.
I want to pay particular tribute to her dedication to the causes of change and diversity. Through her work on leadership and talent, and as faith and belief champion, Clare played a big part in delivering on vital components of the Civil Service's corporate agenda.
I wish her all the very best for the future.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove said:
I have had the great pleasure of working with Clare at two departments and I am deeply personally grateful for her hard work and dedication.
At both DExEU and Defra she led exceptionally broad portfolios of activity and deepened engagement with Parliament, business, industry, and civic society - work which was instrumental in our successful departure from the EU.
I am delighted to pay tribute to her enormous contribution to public service.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury and former Secretary of State for DExEU, Steven Barclay, said:
I was fortunate enough to work with Clare during one of the most challenging and rewarding tenures I've had in Government to date.
Her support was integral in delivering the mammoth task we were set in leaving the EU, and Clare is truly a credit to our Civil Service.
Clare Moriarty said:
I am immeasurably grateful to my colleagues in both Defra and DExEU for the commitment they showed in supporting negotiations and preparing for our future outside the EU. With DExEU's role now complete and the department wound up, it feels the right time to move on myself.
It has been a privilege to be a civil servant for nearly 35 years across seven departments. I'm proud to have played a part in helping the Civil Service to become more digital, more delivery-focused, more representative of the country we serve, and more inclusive. I will always be a huge supporter of the Civil Service.
