The UK government intends to shift roughly 12,000 civil service posts from London to the regions, aiming to cut costs and bring decision‑making closer to local communities, the BBC reports.
Under the plan, which runs to 2032, the move is projected to save about £94 million each year. It involves closing 11 offices in the capital and establishing two new government campuses: one in Manchester focused on technological innovation and another in Aberdeen concentrating on energy. Additional roles will be redistributed to other cities, a step expected to inject significant funds into local economies.
Government departments have already been asked to submit proposals detailing which parts of their workforce could be relocated outside London.
The initiative is part of a broader set of Labour‑led reforms designed to streamline the civil service. Since 2016 the civil‑service headcount has risen sharply; by the end of 2024, it stood at around 514,000 employees.
The news comes in the same week that the government unveiled a sweeping overhaul of the UK’s immigration system.
Earlier, in April, Finnish civil servants staged a strike amid disputes over collective bargaining agreements.
