14th May 2025 06:51
(Alliance News) - Thousands more civil servants are set to be moved out of London as the UK government seeks to cut costs and "radically reform the state".
Under plans announced on Wednesday, the government will cut the number of civil servants working in London by 12,000 and shift jobs to a series of new regional "campuses" across the country.
The changes will also see 11 government office buildings in London close, including one of its largest Westminster sites, in a move expected to save GBP94 million a year by 2032.
Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the government was "taking more decision-making out of Whitehall and moving it closer to communities all across the UK".
Government departments will be expected to submit plans for relocating staff, including senior civil servants, as part of the spending review due to be completed on June 11.
The move will see two new major "campuses" created, one in Manchester focused on digital innovation and AI and another in Aberdeen on energy.
Manchester is already home to major offices of the science and culture departments, while Aberdeen houses the new Great British Energy headquarters.
Other roles will be created in Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Darlington, Newcastle & Tyneside, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and York, with the changes expected to bring GBP729 million to the local economy by 2030.
Among the offices being closed in London is 102 Petty France, one of the largest government offices in the capital and home to around 7,000 civil servants in the Ministry of Justice, HM Courts & Tribunal Service, Crown Prosecution Service and the government Legal Department.
The government will also close 39 Victoria Street, which has been home to the Department of Health & Social Care since the end of 2017.
McFadden said: "By relocating thousands of Civil Service roles, we will not only save taxpayers money, we will make this government one that better reflects the country it serves.
"We will also be making sure that government jobs support economic growth throughout the country.
"As we radically reform the state, we are going to make it much easier for talented people everywhere to join the Civil Service and help us rebuild Britain."
Around 80% of civil servants – more than 400,000 people – already work outside London, but the most senior mandarins tend to be based in the capital.
Under Wednesday's proposals, half of senior civil service roles would be based outside London by 2030.
Prospect union General Secretary Mike Clancy welcomed the plans to "increase and empower" civil servants based outside London, but called for more clarity on the role of arm's-length bodies outside the capital.
He added: "We have been here before with similar announcements, if this one is to be different, government needs to work closely with unions both on specific relocation plans and on the wider Civil Service reform agenda."
The government has previously pledged to cut the total number of civil servants in an effort to make the British state "leaner" and "more productive".
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, also welcomed the proposals to move more staff out of London and allow them to "build careers for the longer term across the UK".
But he added: "There will also be uncertainty for the thousands of civil servants affected by the office closures announced today.
"We need to hear quickly from the departments affected how this will be managed, not least how they will be affected by the office closures, relocation of roles out of London and reduction in headcount all happening at the same time."
The Tories said the announcement showed the government was "fundamentally unserious" about reducing the size of the state and working more efficiently.
Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart MP said: "Labour themselves admit that they have set up at least 29 new quangos since entering office whilst Angela Rayner and her ministers also appear to have never used their offices outside of London – and are instead shutting them down.
"It's clear Keir Starmer is taking the public for fools – shuffling things around and making empty promises. Only the Conservatives are serious about reducing the size of the state and making it work more efficiently for British taxpayers."
By Christopher McKeon, PA Political Correspondent
Press Association: News
source: PA
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