Senior official for Brexit planning and head of the Border Delivery Group set to quit

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Britain's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove arrives to attend a meeting of the Cabinet at 10 Downing Street in central London on September 4, 2019. - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost a crucial parliamentary vote on his Brexit strategy on Tuesday after members of his own Conservative Party voted against him, opening the way for possible early elections. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

The director general for EU exit implementation is set to quit his role just weeks before the UK is due to leave the European Union.

Matthew Coats will step down from his post as one of the UK’s most senior ranking officials for Brexit planning in the latest upheaval of the civil service, according to the Financial Times.

Read more: EU’s Juncker says Britain to blame if stalemate ends in no-deal Brexit

Coats answers directly to Michael Gove, the minister in charge of planning for a no-deal Brexit, and leads the Border Delivery Group, which co-ordinates the work of all departments on planning for Dover to Calais crossing.

“This really is a puzzling and alarming development, coming so close to the October 31 deadline,” a senior Whitehall figure told the FT. “For this to happen at such a moment is extraordinary.”

It comes following a meeting between European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the UK’s Brexit secretary Steve Barclay on Friday.

So far talks are yet to yield any significant progress over the Irish border stalemate, despite Boris Johnson and his team labelling four “non-papers” proposing an-all Ireland zone for agriculture and food, as well as arrangements for customs checks and regulatory checks fo manufactured goods.

EU officials say these fail to meet basic tests of avoiding a hard border.

Read more: Bank of England could cut interest rates if Brexit uncertainty persists, says MPC member

The UK will reportedly send formal proposals to the EU following next week’s Conservative Party conference ahead of the European Council meeting on 17 October.

Coats has been the director general for EU exit planning for 18 months and took over the task of managing the Border Delivery Group last summer following the departure of Karen Wheeler.