Amid a spate of high-profile departures from the UK government, consultants and lawyers are being seconded to advise civil servants and ministers on the UK’s exit from the European Union – and are finding themselves isolated from their private sector colleagues.

Consulting firms including KPMG and PwC and the law firm Linklaters have been sending secondees to the Department for Exiting the European Union. Law firm Slaughter and May, meanwhile, has sent some of its staff to help out in the Treasury department.