Around 60% of U.K. government development adviser posts remain unfilled nearly five years after the axing of a separate aid department triggered an exodus of disillusioned staff members.
The failure to find replacements for scores of employees who quit rather than join the merged Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office was the fault of a freeze on external recruitment, according to FCDO officials who gave evidence to a Parliamentary inquiry Tuesday.
Nick Dyer, a senior civil servant, denied the staffing crisis was the result of a controversial “Brits only” policy at FCDO — and revealed the new Labour government has ended the Conservative-imposed freeze, with a drive to recruit 200 new staffers now underway.
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
