Union slams cull at embassies

Internal briefings to staff said the cuts were among measures to save up to £30m a year because of Government spending reductions, said the Public and Commercial Services union.

Officials said the move was “short sighted” particularly at a time when staff have played a key role helping UK citizens in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

The union urged the Foreign Office to rethink its plans, saying that diplomatic staff should be allowed to “do what they were employed to do” – work overseas on behalf of the UK.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The Government talks about increasing the UK’s influence abroad, but these cuts will have the opposite effect.

“The events of the last few weeks have shown the value of the work carried out by our members helping UK citizens abroad. Cuts on this scale would mean that support will not be there in the future.”

The union said that under the plans, many diplomatic staff would now never work abroad, spending their careers in London instead.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said in a statement: “The FCO has to find £100m savings over four years and needs to ensure it focuses on core frontline activity – diplomacy and foreign policy.”