The Council has urgently requested the government to alleviate financial strain by providing an additional £20 million annually, citing the burden of loans and diminishing grants. Last year, its chief executive cautioned that the organization might be forced to sell assets, with numerous country operations in jeopardy.
The BBC World Service, another symbol of British soft power, faces similar challenges. In a recent statement, the BBC announced that the service is bracing for cuts amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds over the next three years.
‘Detaching from foreign engagement’
“The axe has finally fallen,” remarked a British Council staff member facing redundancy. “It’s going to be a bloodbath, and we are not going to go quietly.”
Italy is expected to bear the brunt of the cuts. Of the 150 positions there, 120 are “in scope,” comprising about 80 percent of the workforce. According to a European Works Council consultation document shared with staff, Italy’s entire teaching division would be closed, and the exams division would be outsourced.
Other countries are also affected, with middle management and lower-level roles, such as customer service, targeted. In the U.K., 147 roles are under review; in France, 52, and in Germany, 23. In Spain, 160 roles could be impacted, with around 60 layoffs anticipated. In Portugal, 45 roles are at risk, with approximately 25 expected job losses.
In Italy, employees have consulted with union representatives, and FLC CGIL is preparing for industrial action. “The British Council’s teaching was renowned,” commented Leonardo Croatto of FLC CGIL. “Now the U.K. government is closing the U.K. in on itself and detaching from foreign engagement. We are witnessing the demise of cultural multilateralism.”
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