Two former top Foreign Office mandarins have warned Rachel Reeves against slashing the UK diplomatic corps in the spending review, as concerns mount among civil servants that the department is in line for further budget cuts.
Lord Peter Ricketts and Sir Simon Fraser said rising geopolitical instability and the international aspect of the government’s economic growth “mission” meant the chancellor should protect spending on Britain’s overseas headcount.
“Cuts will inevitably mean fewer people. In fact we need more diplomats, especially abroad,” said Ricketts, Foreign Office permanent secretary between 2006 and 2010 and an ex-national security adviser.
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