EXCL Anti-Brexit campaigners blast 'scandalous delay' in launching key Whitehall web unit
2 min read
Pro-EU campaigners have laid into the Government for not beginning its search for a Brexit digital guru until 18 months after the vote to leave the bloc.
An advert went up this week for a ‘deputy director for EU exit’ to head up a new team in the Government Digital Service - which oversees vital online systems such as the central government website.
The co-ordination of vital digital platforms such as a new website for processing immigration status changes or delivering an ID card system could be expected to fall under the remit of the team if needed.
But anti-Brexit group Best for Britain accused the government of a “dereliction of duty” in launching the specialist team so close to the EU withdrawal date of March 2019.
The advert offers a £118,000 salary to “lead the GDS EU Exit team on the coordination of the digital function to respond to the UK’s exit from the European Union”.
“The deputy director for EU Exit will work collaboratively across departments to prioritise, plan and identify new actions to successfully exit the European Union,” it explains.
But Eloise Todd, the deputy director of Best for Britain, told PoliticsHome: “It is scandalous that the Government have just got around to thinking about how Brexit will affect its digital infrastructure.
“It is, frankly, a dereliction of duty. Most people use the Government website for everything from applying for their driving licence to getting a tax refund, the Brexit implications are colossal and they need to get a grip.”
James McGrory, the executive director of anti-Brexit campaign Open Britain told PoliticsHome the ad was proof the Government “still haven’t come to terms with the gargantuan size of the task that lies ahead of them”.
“The Government seems to be recruiting new civil servants at huge cost almost daily, to deal with the extraordinary complexity of the Brexit process,” he added.
“Brexit is turning out to be much more complicated and expensive than anyone could have known about during the referendum, and the Government is woefully unprepared.”
GDS boss Alison Pritchard said in the job advert: “This is a fantastic opportunity to be at the heart of the Government’s preparations for EU Exit.
“The Government Digital Service has a key role to play in supporting departments through their implementation of EU Exit related digital programmes. And to do so in a transformational way.”
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