Ex-Brexit negotiator Sir Oliver Robins to be Foreign Office chief

Sir Philip decision to stand down early comes after he was criticised by MPs in 2022 for his handling of the chaotic withdrawal of UK staff after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

During the evacuation, Sir Philip took a 17-day holiday – which he told the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee he regretted.

Sir Philip claimed it was not clear Kabul would fall so quickly when he went on leave, but his absence was viewed as a failure of leadership, and he was criticised for weakening the FCDO’s response.

In his four years as head of the Diplomatic Service, Sir Philip served under five foreign secretaries: Dominic Raab, Liz Truss, James Cleverly, Lord Cameron and David Lammy.

He has previously held a number of public service roles, including as the Foreign Office’s director general, consular and security, and as the acting chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee in the Cabinet Office.

He was also the former high commissioner to Islamabad, deputy head of mission in Washington, and the director of foreign policy and coordinator for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In a social media post, external, Sir Philip said: “I wish Olly all the best as he leads the department into its next chapter.”