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Announced on the day that Theresa May formally triggered the start of the Article 50 process, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy said the Brexit Advisory Commission for Public Services would consider how public services need to be structured following the EU exit.
The commission will be led by Julia Goldsworthy, a former Liberal Democrat MP and Treasury special advisor during the coalition, with the aim of understanding the impact Brexit could have on the public sector. This is intended to help ministers shape policy and help organisations develop a shared response.
Goldsworthy said Brexit would affect “everything from staffing and funding, to procurement and taxation”.
She said: “It is truly a transformative moment that will not only pose challenges to the sector, but also has the potential to be a catalyst for much-needed public service reform.
“For both people that deliver our public services and those that use them, it’s important to deliver the best possible deal and to ensure Brexit’s impact is a positive force for change.”
The commission will look to provide advice to ministers as the Article 50 negotiations proceed in areas including the future of public service staff from EU countries, the changes to state aid rules, and the impact of Brexit on structural and investment funding across the UK. It will also continue after Brexit as UK laws are established to replace EU laws that will initially be written into UK statute.
CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman said “there will be no second chances at making Brexit work for public services and the communities that depend on them”.
The politically neutral commission will draw views from a variety of experts, policy bodies and professional organisations, he said.