Ten new sovereign missions, either Embassies or High
Commissions, will also be opened over the next two
years. This means that the UK will have more sovereign
missions around the world than any other European
nation.
As part of the Government’s Global Britain vision, this
expansion of the UK’s global presence and increase in
the number of diplomats underscore the Government’s
commitment to strengthening relationships with old
allies and forging new partnerships around the world as
the UK leaves the EU.
Commenting on the expansion, the Foreign Secretary
said:
I am determined that we will seize the opportunity of
leaving the EU to become a more outward-looking
country, which promotes free trade, projects our
values and defends the international rules based
system. That is the best way to serve our interests
overseas and to protect the security and prosperity
of people here at home.
The expansion of our overseas network with at least
250 more diplomats and 10 new overseas missions will
enable us to do all this. It reflects the ambition of
Global Britain and will make the UK’s overseas
network of sovereign missions the largest of any
European country.
As we leave the EU, we will have a bigger global
footprint and we will use our buccaneering spirit to
go out and secure the right outcomes for Britain.
Today’s announcement comes on the day that the UK
opened a new diplomatic office in Chad’s capital,
N’Djamena, which is the first UK mission in the country
and will support the work of Foreign and Commonwealth
Office and Department for International Development
staff.
The additional roles overseas build on changes to the
diplomatic service that we have already made to support
the Government’s preparations for leaving the EU. These
have included rebalancing the overseas network
immediately following the referendum to create an
additional fifty roles in the European network and
boosting staff numbers by 150 in London and overseas,
to support Brexit work as a result of additional
Treasury funding of £14.5 million.
The uplift announced today will be funded through a
further £15.1m for EU Exit preparations in 2018-19
already announced by the Treasury at the Spring
statement this month and a proportion through a further
£90m additional funding now agreed by the Treasury to
support the Government’s Global Britain ambitions over
the next two years.
