Boris Johnson government advertises for ‘butler’ with knowledge of fine wines

Ad posted by the Foreign Office appears to have been taken down

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A job advert for a butler with a knowledge of fine wines has been deleted from a government department’s website.

The original posting, which is still visible on Google, called on people to apply for the role of “government butler” at the Foreign Office, offering a £30,000 salary.

The successful candidate would be expected to oversee state dinners and large government functions, as well as looking after the department’s extensive wine collection.

However the post appears to have been taken down. The Mirror, which first reported the advert, claimed the post was removed after they contacted the government for comment.

It also appeared on LinkedIn but the advert now says the job is “no longer accepting applications”. It is unclear whether the advert will be reposted.

The Foreign Office regularly hosts events for ambassadors and government ministers as part of its diplomatic efforts.

A spokesperson for the department declined to comment.

It comes as Boris Johnson faced criticism for attending a lavish ball for Tory donors earlier this week – but failing to find the time to visit flood-stricken areas in the north and the Midlands.

One Tory donor reportedly paid £60,000 for gold and silver versions of the Brexit 50p coin, while the wife of an ally of Vladimir Putin scooped a game of tennis with the prime minister.

Lubov Chernukhin, a regular Tory donor who is married to Russia’s former finance minister Vladimir Chernukhin, paid half of the £90,000 bill for the match with Mr Johnson and Tory co-chairman Ben Elliott, The Sun reported.

Labour’s Jon Trickett said: “The fact of the matter is that political parties and politicians should not be taking large donations from mega-wealthy individuals and corporations.

“It distorts our democracy and drowns out the voices of the wider public.”