British Council could disappear within a decade, says chief executive

Exclusive: Scott McDonald is looking at budget cuts and axing the organisation’s presence in up to 40 countries

• Why the financial crisis at the British Council matters as UK pushes soft power

The British Council could “disappear” within a decade, harming the UK’s global status and leaving an international vacuum to be filled by Russia and China, unless the government acts to save it, according to the council’s leader.

Scott McDonald, the British Council’s chief executive, said he was looking at £250m in budget cuts, losing hundreds of staff and axing the council’s presence in up to 40 countries.

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