Civil service jobs to be moved from Whitehall to Scotland ‘due to cheaper costs’

CIVIL service jobs will be moving from Whitehall to Scotland, a Tory minister has revealed.

Oliver Dowden claimed cheaper office space and lower staffing costs here would be a factor for UK bosses facing a budget crisis.

2

His prediction came just weeks after he told MPs there will be a “reduction in head count” as part of efforts to save cash.

But on a visit to the Cabinet Office HQ in Glasgow, he said he could “see no reason” for staff cuts north of the border.

Mr Dowden, the UK minister tasked with shoring up the Union, added: “If anything I’d see an increase in those numbers as part of that search for efficiency.”

This was due to Scotland’s “highly talented” civil servants, he said.

He didn’t deny the UK Government could pay people less outside of London.

But he claimed it was more to do with office running costs.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said: “It’s not really about the wages.

“The office costs of the buildings are less. But also we can draw on very rich skills of people in Glasgow.”

The new Cabinet Office base was opened in the city last year.

Mr Dowden said pressure over job cuts and savings was “more likely to be in London”.

He added: “Glasgow is an attractive place to work. In only a few minutes you can be in wonderful countryside.

“And we have some state-of-the-art offices so people enjoy working here.”

We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5200