Reshuffle saves 100 Sheffield civil servants from axe

In January it was announced that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was relocating to the capital in a bid to save £350m by 2020.

As a result of the cuts, around 250 Sheffield jobs were moving to London.

But today it was disclosed that following a department reshuffle by Prime Minister Theresa May, 100 jobs had been saved.

According to the Public and Commercial Services Union, 100 BIS employees will now move to the Department for Further Education – which shares the same city building and has pledged its commitment to Sheffield.

The union says 87 people are taking redundancy and 70 are still at risk.

Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, said: “I’m pleased that the roles that have moved to the Department for Education will now stay in Sheffield, as I had asked.

“But it’s only half the story. Many of the talented BIS staff have already moved on, which is a huge loss to policy making.

“And the new ‘Industrial Strategy’ Department seems intent on pressing ahead with moving other staff to its London policy headquarters, which is ludicrous.

“I’ve written to the Business Secretary urging him to think again and use the opportunity to increase the new Department’s presence in Sheffield.

“If the new Prime Minister means it when she says she wants a country that works for everyone, she can start by ending the madness of requiring policy-makers in the Business Department to live and work in London.”

Nick Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, said he welcomed the news as “a partial victory for common sense”.

He said: “The Government should now guarantee that the rest of the jobs will remain in Sheffield and apologise to these workers who have had their lives turned upside down.”