THERESA MAY moved quickly last night to find a new ambassador to the EU following the messy departure of Sir Ivan Rogers.

Sir Tim Barrow, our new man in Brussels who has the unenviable job of leading the Brexit negotiations, is a career diplomat. He is not the out-and-out Brexiteer that some were calling for, but he does come with a wealth of experience. It is to be hoped that he will be able to adopt a realistic and balanced approach, and that he will be brave enough to speak even unpalatable truths to the most dogmatic of politicians.

It is clear that our exit negotiations are going to be difficult. The view that the EU needs us more than we need it is patronising and simplistic – many member states will be concentrating on their own elections rather than trying to work out a fair deal with Britain.

Mrs May had to act quickly because Sir Ivan suggested the UK is ill prepared for what lies ahead. He accused the Government of not knowing its "negotiating objectives", which is like sending a football team onto the pitch without any clear tactics or any of the players knowing what position that are supposed to be in. The season starts at the end of March, when Article 50 is triggered – our negotiators need to be plotting tactics and practising moves or the opposition will walk all over us.

Yet all is not lost. Sir Ivan’s departure may be a blessing in disguise. There had clearly been a breakdown between him and Downing Street at a time when our team has to be united. Rather than using the players, like Sir Ivan, who she inherited from the previous manager, she now has the chance to transfer in her own players who will fully support her agenda.

But does Mrs May have an agenda? Where are we on the single market, customs union, foreign workers, Irish borders? What shape is our future or is, as Sir Ivan suggested, our position just “muddled”?