The TaxPayer's Alliance has uncovered that there are 438 staff networks in 79 British quangos and watchdogs. These public bodies have spent a total of £901,000 over the last 4 years to facilitate club meetings, talks and events.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, which published these findings, our head of campaigns, Elliot Keck, said:
“ Taxpayers will be cheering on Ester McVey’s no-nonsense approach to EDI roles in the civil service, but this isn’t the finishing line.
“ Acknowledging that these roles are often counter-productive and rising in cost is only the tip of the iceberg. The public sector is riddled with variations of these box-ticking initiatives, an example being the extending list of staff networks available in quangos.
“ Ministers must continue their efforts to limit the number of time-wasting and costly initiatives that are bankrupting Britain.”