London: The UK government has announced a major civil service relocation plan. Thousands of civil servant jobs will be moved out of London to cut costs and boost regional presence. Under new government reforms, 12,000 civil service roles will be relocated from the capital by 2032. The move is expected to save £94 million each year. Eleven major offices in London will shut down as part of the restructuring.
As part of the new civil service relocation plan, government campuses will be established in Manchester and Aberdeen, with a third location to be announced soon. These regional hubs support the government’s aim to relocate 50 percent of senior civil servants out of London by 2030.
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said the goal is to bring decision-making closer to communities. He stated that, “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.”
The government is asking departments to submit detailed plans on how they will relocate staff, including senior officials. The Cabinet Office itself plans to cut 2,100 jobs over the next two years. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed to reducing the government’s running costs by 15 percent before 2030. This is part of a broader strategy to reduce the size of what ministers describe as a ‘bloated and inefficient’ civil service.
According to the Institute for Government, the civil service workforce has grown significantly since 2016. By the end of last year, it had reached 514,000. Unions have responded with cautious support. They welcome the ‘regional focus’ of the civil service relocation plan but demand more clarity on its impact.
Shadow Conservative Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart criticised the civil service relocation plans. He noted that, “Only the Conservatives are serious about reducing the size of the state and making it work more efficiently for British taxpayers.” He also accused Labour of shuffling things around and making empty promises.
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, remarked that, “Uncertainty for civil servants working in offices whose closures have been announced today, and the FDA looked forward to seeing more detail.”
Some of the London offices being closed include 102 Petty France and 39 Victoria Street. 102 Petty France is one of the largest government offices in the capital. It houses around 7,000 civil servants across the Ministry of Justice and other key departments.
Manchester’s new campus will focus on digital innovation and AI. Aberdeen’s campus will focus on energy. Other cities set to receive new roles include Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, and Belfast. The civil service relocation plan marks one of the biggest structural changes in decades, aiming to balance efficiency with regional equity.
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