Boris Johnson is trying to ban the word ‘Brexit’ from Number 10

Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks away after driving a union flag-themed JCB, with the words "Get Brexit Done" inside the digger bucket. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA. - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

It has been one of the words to define the decade, as well as his election campaign, but Boris Johnson is now trying to remove references to Brexit from Number 10 operations.

In a sign that Johnson wants to talk about anything other than Brexit in 2020, the Tories are looking to remove references to the UK’s departure from the EU at Downing Street.

The Times reports that ‘Brexit’ will be removed from the name of the taskforce that will decide the UK’s future relationship with the Euroepan Union.

The new negotiating team – led by adviser David Frost – will now be called Taskforce Europe.

And from the end of January, should the Withdrawal Agreement Bill pass, the department for Exiting the European Union (DexEU) will no longer exist.

Instead the team will work with remaining government departments to support their attempts to secure trade agreements during the transition period.

It follows reports Johnson had instructed cabinet to stop talking about Brexit – telling them to treat talks as a routine trade negotiation.

A government source told the newspaper: “In 2020 we will move forward to establish a future relationship and free trade agreement with the EU.

“Following the election, the government has a clear and renewed mandate to achieve this. We want our new relationship to be based on an ambitious free trade agreement and a close friendship between sovereign equals.”

The Brexit ban has even reached the Johnson household with his father Stanley saying that they will not be discussing the topic with his siblings, who have all shared anti-Brexit sentiment.

He said: “We’re deeming Brexit to be done. The focus will be to get to 3pm [on December 25] without major disputes and to turn the radio on and listen to Her Majesty.”