London to lose thousands of civil service jobs

The Government plans to reduce the number of civil servants in London by 12,000 and close 11 offices in London.

By 2032, this will result in a saving of PS94 million per year on property costs. The government said that two new campuses would open in Manchester, Aberdeen and other cities.

Cabinet Minister Pat McFadden stated: “By moving thousands of civil servant roles, we will save taxpayers’ money and make this government a better reflection of the country that it serves.”

Government decision-making will be “closer” to the communities of all parts of the UK with more civil servants located outside London.

McFadden’s goal is to have 50% of civil servants located outside London in five years.

Westminster’s offices of the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health and Social Care, as well as the Department for Work and Pensions in Caxton House will be relocated.

Aberdeen will become a campus for energy, while Manchester will have a digital hub and artificial intelligence. Birmingham, Leeds Cardiff, Glasgow, and the North-east are also areas where civil servants can be recruited.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor of the UK, announced in March that she would cut around 10 000 civil service jobs to reduce government operating costs. The government departments were asked how they planned to cut running costs 10-15% by the end decade.

Alex Burghart, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, claimed that the plans demonstrated the government’s “fundamentally insincere” about working more efficiently for taxpayers and reducing the size the state.

Mike Clancy said that if the plans succeed, they will “empower civil servants”.

He added, “We’ve made similar announcements before, but if we want this to be different the government must work closely with unions on both specific relocation plans as well as on a broader civil service reform agenda.”

PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote called on the government to do the “right thing” for workers in London.

She said that this must include guarantees against compulsory redundancies and relocations, as well as more flexible work arrangements for those who wish to continue in their career.

FDA General Secretary Dave Penman stated that in order for the relocations of civil servants to be successful, they must be able build careers over the long-term, even in London, where there are now fewer opportunities.

He said that the closure of offices would also create uncertainty for thousands of civil servants. We need to hear from the affected departments quickly how this will all be managed.

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