Who is Sir Tim Barrow? UK ambassador to the EU who delivered Theresa May’s Article 50 letter to Donald Tusk

DOWNING Street's man in Brussels was tasked with handing over the historic letter splitting the UK from EU.

Sir Tim Barrow, seen as a wily behind-the-scenes fixer with a web of contacts, was given Britain’s top job in Brussels after Sir Ivan Rogers quit as EU ambassador.

Who is Sir Tim Barrow?

Sir Tim, 52, is said to be well-liked by Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis.

He was educated at Warwick and Oxford before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1986 and rising through the ranks.

The former ambassador to Russia was described by No 10 as a "seasoned and tough negotiator" who will help the Government make a success of Brexit.

His nickname is “Deep State”, after the conspiracy theory that a shadowy cabal secretly controls world power.

Sir Tim was appointed political director general at the Foreign Office in March 2016 after leaving his role in Moscow.

He has had two previous stints working as part of the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep).

He handed over the letter to the EU Council from Theresa May officially invoking Article 50 on March 29, which starting the process of splitting from the EU.