MPs have warned that cuts to the United Kingdom’s diplomatic mission in Brussels risk undermining what remains of British influence in the European Union, following Brexit in 2021.
Postings to Brussels were among the most sought after by UK Foreign Office officials when the UK was part of the EU, but its status has been significantly diminished since the June 2016 referendum.
After Brexit, the UK’s embassy to the EU was rebranded the UK Mission (UKMis) to the European Union and has seen its headcount cut by more than a quarter from 180 to 130. It has also seen a high level of turnover of staff since 2016, while further staff cuts are expected in the coming years.
In a new report published on Tuesday (24 October), UK MPs on the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee warned that “reducing the size of the UK Mission could negatively impact the ability of the UK to effectively exert influence in favour of its geopolitical interests,” the report stated.
The cross-party committee has a Conservative majority, and its chair, Bill Cash, was one of the first supporters of Brexit. However, its report expressed concern about the scale of the cuts to UKMis.
“Having diplomats acutely attuned to the workings of the EU is just as important to the entire UK family now as when we were members.” said Committee Chairman Sir Bill Cash, adding that “it’s essential that we maintain the current level of staffing at is maintained.”
The Head of UKMis, Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby, has the same level of diplomatic seniority as the UK’s ambassadors in Paris and Berlin, though that is lower than the designation given to the head of mission in Washington DC. Meanwhile, the post of deputy ambassador in Brussels has been abolished.
Based on evidence from UK officials in Brussels, Welsh government and overseas territories, the review is part of a broader appraisal of the UK’s various diplomatic missions in the EU since Brexit to assess how new diplomatic mission operates and its effectiveness in achieving the UK’s strategic aims.
It warned that there was “a lack of transparency surrounding what the mission does, its overall cost….and the work that it does,” pointing to the UK’s diplomatic work with the EU’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service, and the bloc’s defence co-operation agreement, known as PESCO.
UKMis spends about 20% to 25% of its time on issues that do not relate to the implementation of the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement or its Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Brussels, including foreign policy and defence, the report found.
“This work is not readily known, and we recommend that UKMis is much clearer about where non-TCA related work, such as PESCO, fits with the rest of its work,” said MPs.
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
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