Public services not receiving enough information regarding Brexit

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has revealed that 75 per cent of public service leaders feel the government hasn’t engaged with their organisation enough over Brexit.

The institute's survey indicates that a lack of engagement is hampering the ability of public service leaders to plan effectively for Brexit, as 44 per cent or respondents believe they are receiving an insufficient amount of information. Furthermore, 75 per cent of public services leaders are feeling more negative about Brexit than they did a year ago.

CIPFA’s Brexit public service leaders preparedness survey also found that: half of public service leaders think Brexit will have a major impact upon the policy that shapes their sector, while 42 per cent of public service leaders aren’t sure if there will be opportunities to reshape key policy and regulation for the better post Brexit. A third think there won’t be, but a quarter think there will be.

Furthermore, almost half of public service leaders think Brexit will have a negative impact on the availability of labour and skills, 17 per cent a highly negative impact. Another 60 per cent public service leaders aren’t budgeting for Brexit in their medium-term financial plans, but a third are, with 83 per cent think Brexit will be highly detrimental or detrimental to public services, whereas just five per cent consider it highly beneficial or beneficial.

Rob Whiteman, CIPFA chief executive, said: “It’s now been two years since the Brexit vote and fourteen months since Article 50 was triggered, yet the vast majority of public services leaders still feel that the government is keeping them in the dark. As the government must want a Brexit dividend to be a more sustainable and effective public sector, it is crucial that light is shed on what the UK’s future relationship with the EU will look like and soon. Otherwise, public service leaders won’t have the time or information to respond.”