Removing Barriers: to new civil servants and new markets

Last year my team hosted an intern, Hannah, as part of the Government’s Summer Internship Programme. ?Ensuring people from all backgrounds get the opportunity to experience the Civil Service first hand is something I’m really passionate about, and not just because I myself was a member of the internship class of 2009…?

Hannah joining our team, and me having the chance to speak at the closing ceremony for the Programme has brought me back into close proximity with people applying for the Civil Service Fast Stream, especially the Diplomatic and Development scheme. I’ve kept in touch with quite a few on LinkedIn and had some reach out to me in recent weeks for advice on how to prepare for its final selection board.

By a quirk of fate, I now work ?in the building (Old Admiralty Building, off Trafalgar Sq.) where I had my own final selection board almost 12 years ago to the month.? By another, I discovered not long after joining the Foreign Office, that apparently my intake was one of the few years where they had done away with ‘motivation questions’. You know the ones, where they ask you questions that assume knowledge about the career you are desperately trying to enter? ?It’s safe to say that if they’d asked me about my detailed understanding of diplomatic life, I can guarantee you that I would not be sat in the seat I’m in today – and I don’t think that is unique to me.

So just as important as giving people a chance to experience the Civil Service first hand through our internship, I want to share a brief snippet of a very recent experience working on international (trade) policy for those who may be considering it for their future.

The Board of Trade

This time last week, I was at the Tileyard, a hub for independent artists and small business just north of Kings Cross, to present to the Board of Trade.

The Board of Trade is an advisory body to Government focussed on how we can boost trade and investment, and grow the UK economy.? Our Secretary of State leads the Board as its President, joined by the rest of the Department’s ministerial team, Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and leaders with expertise and experience in business and trade.

The Board can trace its history as far back as the early 17th century, when King James I set up a council to answer questions on supply shortages and trade, which unlike today was declining at the time.? The language of that age talked of ‘colonies’ and ‘plantations’, which were a forerunner to what became the British Empire.? Don’t worry: the irony is not lost on me, as the son of a Nigerian, who sadly passed away last year, and the great great great (…) grandson of King Jaja of Opobo who had his own dealings with the British Government of the day on trade.

But today, things are very different. Since her appointment as what was then-Trade Secretary in September 2022, Kemi Badenoch has revitalised the group and what I encountered ‘in the room’ was a dynamic group of people all with a wealth of experience of what it takes to trade, invest and do business internationally.?

To draw an analogy, think of it a bit like the Department for Health and Social Care bringing together doctors, nurses, midwives, and care professionals, to get to the bottom of what can be done to achieve better outcomes for people and their families throughout the country.

I had the privilege of presenting the culmination of two and a half years of many other people’s hard work, getting the whole of Government (both in the UK and our diplomatic missions abroad) to march to the same tune so to speak, working together to tackle an agreed ‘hit list’ of around 100 priority trade barriers which if resolved could boost UK exports by more than ￡20 billion. ?I wrote a blog on this last year. But since then, in 2023, we estimate that together we have resolved about ￡8 billion’s worth of barriers. Our press team likes to tell us this was the equivalent of removing ￡1 million worth of trade barriers per hour!

My main objective last Thursday, was to seek the Board’s advice on how we might increase our focus on fast-growing sectors and countries, that instead of being today’s ‘issues’, are tomorrow’s opportunities. That is to say, everything we currently focus on is based on the challenges business tell us they are encountering, that if resolved, or prevented, could enable them to trade and invest more overseas.? Naturally, this lends itself to focussing on where we can have the greatest impact in short and medium term.? How could we (ever so slightly) refocus our ever more effective barrier busting machine to ensure we’re not missing the long term?

After the meeting adjourned, we were given a tour of the Tileyard – including, much to the delight of one member of the team, their Two Tribes brewery – and then a reception where I was able to meet a good number of businesses primarily from the UK’s creative industries. ?It was really energising to be able to spend time talking to business people and, for want of a better phrase, to make sure I don’t lose touch with how they think and what keeps then up at night.

Needless to say, my to do list is now well stocked with follow up actions as we endeavour to make 2024 ‘the year of the SME’.

I’m sure my LinkedIn connections fall into many tribes but let me talk to three:

1. If you have a background or even a passing interest in trade, technology, and/or global trends, where do you see the emerging markets and sectors that it would be prudent for us to think about today?
2. If you are looking to grow your business internationally but are encountering issues, please do not hesitate to let us know here!
3. If you are considering a career in the Civil Service, be it internationally focussed or otherwise, you are always welcome to drop me a message, and I’ll happily answer any questions you might be mulling over.