British Ministers Rack Up £160 Million Consultants’ Bill Over Brexit
Brexit has possibly been one of the most chaotic events in the history of the United Kingdom and despite the nation’s attempts to exit the European Union over the past few months; it has so far failed to put together a suitable deal that could enable it. Prime Minister Theresa May has still not able to push a deal through, and it is still unclear how long it is going to take for the UK to make it’s formal exist. While it is well known that Brexit is going to cause a wide range of economic problems in the country, it is also true that the country could plunge into an economic catastrophe if they exit without actually agreeing to a deal with the EU. Amidst all the chaos, it has now emerged that the lawmakers in the UK have recruited some of the biggest consultancy firms in the world to help them with the whole thing and in a fresh revelation, it has been revealed that the contracts are worth a mammoth £160 million.
Ever since the country decided to vote for Brexit, several lawmakers have hired a range of consultants to get expert help regarding the running of the country in a post-Brexit world. Last February, it had emerged that consultants had inked contracts with British lawmakers to the tune of £104 million and considering the general lack of success regarding the formal exit from the EU, it is open to question whether these expenses have proven to be worthwhile or not. Some of the biggest names in the world of consulting have been awarded contracts, and in total, 11 of them were awarded. Deloitte and Ernst & Young are two of them, while some of the contracts have also been awarded to smaller outfits.
Although this sort of expense on consultancy firms is going to raise eyebrows in certain quarters and will lead to open questioning about the wisdom of the contracts, the government has defended its actions. A spokesperson belonging to the cabinet office of the UK stated, “As a responsible government we have, and will continue to, draw on the expert advice of a range of specialists to deliver a successful and orderly exit from the EU.” However, it must be said, that it is not out of the ordinary for big consultancy firms to help out governments in key policy matters.