John Baron MP condemns British Council country closures

MP: Government must find extra £10 million to halt closures

Since 1934 the British Council has been promoting British culture and the English language overseas as one of our country’s key soft power institutions. The coronavirus pandemic hit its finances hard, as the commercial activities (such as running exams and teaching English) which provide all but 15% of its income in normal times ceased. The Government has provided significant financial support, but there remains a shortfall of about £10 million between this support and what is required to run the British Council’s existing international network.

As a recently-published letter from the Foreign Secretary to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee confirms the Government will not provide this extra £10 million, the British Council is being required to close some of its offices overseas and cease in-country activity.

The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Tom Tugendhat MP, John Baron MP and the British Council All-Party Parliamentary Group (of which John is Chairman) believe this move would not be in Britain’s interests and would send the wrong message to the world.

John said,

“Closing down British Council offices overseas and retreating from the international stage is not in keeping with ‘Global Britain’, and will do immense and avoidable damage to Britain’s soft power.”

“Instead, the Government should think strategically and take the longer view rather than taking short-term decisions which in the coming years we may regret – withdrawing from a country will leave a vacuum which other countries, some not so friendly to the West, will be sure to fill.”

“In recent months the British Council APPG has been working behind the scenes in the hope that we could persuade the Government to see sense and find the necessary £10 million which will stave off these damaging closures. We are now moving to a wider campaign in Parliament and elsewhere on behalf of this great British institution.”

Notes to Editors:

• John’s Adjournment debate on this subject is online at: https://bit.ly/3vtIebU.

• The exchange of letters between the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and the Foreign Secretary is online at: https://bit.ly/2Sp3aCm.