Shooting the messenger

 - or did the messenger not trust the recipients?

People are assuming that the hard men behind the government's drive to take us out of the EU have forced the early retirement of Sir Ivan Rogers. They did not like the confidential advice by Sir Ivan, and leaked by the BBC, that there was considerable resistance within the EU to Brexit, and the obstacles which our negotiators could expect. This was seen in some quarters as "pessimism".

On the other hand, it is reported that the resignation was unexpected. Could it be that Sir Ivan did not relish having to front negotiations with EU representatives, having realised that thanks to Mrs May's troika of Brexit ministers he would not be getting a clear steer on the lines he should take?

He has already been briefed against by the Cameron clique. They seek to blame him for the failure of Cameron's publicity-rich, reality-poor, attempt to renegotiate UK's position within the EU, which was always doomed to failure. It would not be surprising if he chose to avoid further recriminations, when the Article 50 outcome fails to meet public expectations, which appears probable.