Civil servants will be sent to Yorkshire to learn how to level up the UK, Rishi Sunak pledges

He told The Yorkshire Post that the move will mean that those in Whitehall will better understand the issues facing businesses across the country when drawing up policies.

The plans unveiled last night will see civil servants spend a placement of at least one year in industry outside of the capital before they are considered for promotion, amid fears that the civil service is populated by graduates straight out of university.

“The civil service needs a shake up,” the Richmond MP told The Yorkshire Post. “Too often, it is the case that civil servants join the Civil Service straight from university. By experiencing time in industry, and outside London, they gain invaluable experience that will also help the Government to deliver for the whole country.

“As a Yorkshire MP, I want to see civil servants in Yorkshire and working for our fantastic businesses here - so that they understand the issues facing those businesses but also some of the unique opportunities and challenges we have in this part of the world. At the same time, I want to make sure that public sector workers based here in Yorkshire have the same pay and opportunities to progress as those in London - and my plans will ensure that they do.”

Currently less than eight per cent of the UK’s half a million civil servants work in Yorkshire, compared to a fifth which work in London, according to the most recent Government data. Only 160 of the 4,160 based in the Government’s Levelling Up department are based in the region, less than 4 per cent of the department’s headcount.

Mr Sunak’s policy will look at changing the hiring policy of the civil service by creating assessment centres in every region of the country, rather than just in London and Newcastle.

He will also push for more people to be hired through apprenticeships to bring in “new ideas and perspectives” from those based outside the capital and those from working class backgrounds.

However, one Whitehall source told The Yorkshire Post that “almost everything” announced by Mr Sunak is being delivered by the Government already. “It is odd to see Team Sunak sell the policies of the PM he ousted as a new blueprint for reform,” they said.

While in Government the Chancellor was a vocal supporter of moving civil servants in departments such as the Treasury to Darlington. Earlier this year 7,500 civil servants were moved to HMRC’s new building in Leeds along with 14 other departments such as the Department for Levelling Up and the Department for Transport.

Third Tory MP defects to Team Truss

A former Cabinet minister has become the third Tory MP to publicly switch their support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the Conservative leadership race.

Alun Cairns, who served as Welsh secretary, said yesterday [Monday] that he believes the Foreign Secretary is the best candidate to secure the Union of the four UK nations.

He effectively argued it would be more likely to break up under Mr Sunak, a former chancellor, compared to his opponent and her “positive ambition for our country”.

Current Welsh Secretary Sir Robert Buckland defected from the Sunak campaign to support Ms Truss on Friday, following former minister Chris Skidmore’s switch.

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