UK may cut up to 50,000 civil servants

The UK government, led by Keir Starmer, may reduce the number of civil servants by up to 50,000 as part of a cost optimization plan.

Report informs via Kommersant that earlier, the Ministry of Finance said around 10,000 civil servants could be cut as part of reducing budget expenses by 15%.

However, according to The Times, on March 26, when Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is expected to deliver the budget speech in parliament, plans to reduce five times more civil servants than originally planned may be announced. The cost optimization for the civil service is set to continue until 2030.

British media notes that reducing 50,000 civil servants would bring the total number of civil servants back to pre-pandemic levels. It is reported that in the last five years, the number of civil servants in the country has grown to half a million people.

Annually, the UK government spends about £13 billion from the national budget on administrative costs, with more than 75% of this going towards personnel.