£350k bill for Brexit trade ads

Tories face huge skills gap

BRITAIN’S Brexit departments have splashed out nearly £350,000 on adverts to recruit trade experts since the EU vote, the Record can reveal.

The huge recruitment costs raise fresh concern over the Tory Government’s preparations for complex trade talks.

It comes weeks after we revealed how panicked civil servants are taking “master classes” in negotiating amid fears the UK will get a bad Brexit deal.

Following a freedom of information request, the Department for International Trade said they have spent £343,942 on recruitment campaigns since July last year.

SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said: “After being forced to hastily write training courses on negotiating for their civil servants, we now learn the UK Government are burning through hundreds of thousands of pounds posting job adverts for trade experts.

“We’ve been warned time and time again that they have an alarming skills gap heading into negotiations – and these revelations expose the fact that they are clearly struggling to hire the skilled staff they need to conduct Brexit talks.

“That will reassure nobody as we head into some of the most complex, demanding negotiations in modern times.”

The DIT received 1608 applications for 96 posts.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood said: “We have the right skills, experience and leadership to help achieve the best deal for the UK.”