Falkland Islands advertises for £43,000-a-year equality guru – even though its 3,662 population is outnumbered by 500,000 sheep
- The job comes with 41 days’ holiday and is being advertised by Whitehall chiefs
An equalities guru on a £43,000-a-year salary is being sought for the Falklands – to oversee a 3,662-strong population outnumbered by 500,000 sheep.
The position will involve the civil servant flying 8,000 miles to tackle discrimination on the tiny British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic – which is also home to about one million penguins.
The successful candidate will be responsible for protecting the rights of islanders on gender, race, age and sexuality in capital Stanley and report to the Falkland Islands government.
An advert placed by Whitehall chiefs, says the ‘focus’ of the job will be ‘on developing policies and legislation against discrimination, using a phased approach’.
The job on the rugged remote island is being advertised by the UK government and is for a four-year period – and comes with 41 days’ holiday, tax breaks, relocation package and a free annual return flight.
The position will involve the civil servant flying 8,000 miles to tackle discrimination on the tiny British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic (pictured are the Falkland Islands)
The successful candidate will be responsible for protecting the rights of islanders on gender, race, age and sexuality in capital Stanley (pictured)
But news of the position as been met with ridicule back in the UK.
Rupert Lowe, a former MEP for the Brexit Party, thought the post was an ‘April Fools’ gag and said he had to ‘pinch himself’ when he heard about it.
‘I just can’t believe that with a population of 3,700 they’re going to employ somebody on £43,000 a year but worst of all give them 41 days’ holiday – who gets 41 days’ holiday?
While one jobseeker told The Sun: ‘They’ll be queuing up from Whitehall to the Falklands for this cushy number.’
The UK Government pays around £60million a year to keep a foothold on the British territory off the coast of Argentina.
The island chain was invaded by Argentina in 1982, prompting Britain to send a military force to retake it.
Some 255 British military personnel were killed in the 74-day conflict, along with three islanders. More than 600 Argentinian troops died in the invasion.
Some 255 British military personnel were killed in the 74-day Falklands War, along with three islanders. Pictured are British troops after recapturing the island chain in 1982
Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependencies, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, had long been challenged.
Although the islands are thousands of miles away from the UK, they have been under British rule since 1833.
However, Argentina has long disputed this, claiming the territory – which they call the Islas Malvinas – was rightfully inherited from the Spanish Crown in the 1800s.
Though the vast majority of islanders see themselves and their islands as British, this has long been disputed by Argentina, which maintains its claim to them instead.
Islanders have staunchly rejected any claim the island belongs to Argentina, though, with a referendum in 2013 seeing 99 per cent of the population voting to remain a British Overseas Territory.
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