More than 1,000 civil service jobs are set to be relocated to Scotland as the Cabinet Office looks to establish a second flagship HQ, with ministerial offices, in Glasgow.
The move will see Glasgow, East Kilbride and the surrounding areas benefit from new jobs and investment from the UK Government, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) set to be joining the Cabinet Office in moving civil service jobs to Scotland.
It is intended that the move will bring key decision makers closer to the communities they serve, as well as strengthening diversity in the UK Civil Service, as well as widening the available job pool to recruit from.
Alongside supporting regional levelling up, the move will also mean that ministers will spend a significant amount of time in Scotland as the national and devolved administrations look to collaborate on building a sustainable pandemic recovery.
It will also help grow collaboration on a range of domestic and international challenges.
At least 500 staff are set to be based at the new headquarters in Glasgow within the next four years, alongside new ministerial offices. It will build on the presence already in Glasgow from the COP26 team, with the UK city hosting the UN Climate Change Conference in November 2021.
A further 500 roles are set to move to the FCDO’s joint-headquarters in East Kilbride, taking the total number of jobs at its Scottish base to 1,500 by 2025.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “There can be no clearer demonstration of our commitment to our joint HQ in East Kilbride than today’s announcement that an extra 500 Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office jobs are coming to Scotland.
“This will ensure the Civil Service represents all parts of the UK and will be a boost to the Scottish Economy.
“Staff at Abercrombie House are at the forefront of delivering the UK’s diplomatic clout, as we prepare to host the G7 and COP26, while supporting the delivery of our £10bn aid budget to continue helping the world’s poorest people.”
