Politics · 2 hours ago

MPs Say British Council's £197m Covid Loan Should Be Written Off

Paul Farmer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph/Wikimedia Commons

MPs have urged ministers to turn most of the British Council's £197m debt into a grant, warning the cultural body's future remains shaky. The money began as a £60m Covid-era loan from the Foreign Office that grew on commercial terms. The council has already cut a third of its staff and sold historic assets, and still plans further job losses and closures in nine countries.

By BriefTea Editorial · 30 October 2026 at 9:40

Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs