Impact of Brexit highlights cuts

The scale of the cuts endured by the civil service is in the spotlight as a leaked memo suggests tens of thousands more jobs are needed in the wake of the Brexit vote.


The document reportedly highlights divisions within the cabinet and says departments are working on 500 Brexit-related projects and could require 30,000 extra staff.


According to the BBC, the document says: “Every department has developed a ‘bottom-up’ plan of what the impact of Brexit could be — and its plan to cope with the ‘worst case’.”


The PCS civil service union says it wrote to civil service head Jeremy Heywood a week after the referendum vote to ask for details about functions directly affected by the EU and the vote to leave. 


It pointed out that cuts and privatisation plans should be put on hold, and that substantial extra resources should be made available for the work required in implementing the vote to exit the European Union.


The union says that since 2010, more than 100,000 jobs have been cut from the civil service and its related bodies.


PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “We wrote to government departments and the head of the civil service after the referendum to ask for early talks on the impact Brexit would have, but we have still not had a satisfactory answer.


“It is a disgrace that political rows within the cabinet appear to be frustrating this process.”

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37983948