East Kilbride’s MP and South Lanarkshire’s Council Leader have become embroiled in a war of words with the town’s MSP over the UK Government’s plans to remove 1000 civil service jobs from East Kilbride.
A year since the Tory UK Government announced 1000 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) jobs would be taken out of East Kilbride and despite a change in government, staff are still none the wiser as to when they will be moving, where the new base will be situated, its capacity or its facilities.
It has been made clear, however, that staff moving from London to Glasgow will be eligible for a maximum of £14,000 relocation expenses. Questions have now been raised as to how many of the additional jobs in Scotland will be new, or simply relocated from elsewhere.
Collette Stevenson MSP is urging the UK Government to reverse plans and has written to South Lanarkshire Council’s Labour leader, Joe Fagan, as well as East Kilbride’s Labour MP Joani Reid, urging them to talk to colleagues in Government and make the case for the FCDO staying in East Kilbride.
Ms Stevenson went on to accuse the Council Leader and MP of ‘staying silent’ on the move after previously blasting the plans, which, according to the UK Government’s own figures, will take £30 million from the local economy.
The MSP said: “In August this year I received correspondence from HMRC’s Sir Jim Harra, Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, repeating his assurances that HMRC would retain a long-term presence in East Kilbride.
“Spinning this as a win, the town’s MP claimed she worked hard to secure the jobs and applauded the Government for delivering for the town. We had assurances though from as far back as January 2022 however that HMRC would be staying in EK. What needs addressing is the fact that 1000 jobs will be leaving East Kilbride.
“An exchange from a recent Foreign Affairs Committee meeting confirmed the FCDO want to move in late 2026 or early 2027. Whilst the business case now rests with the National Property Controls and HM Treasury, we aren’t being told how much the move will cost, yet we are guaranteed that an office block large enough to accommodate this number of staff in a central location in the city will cost more than it would in East Kilbride.
“I have asked South Lanarkshire Council if they have published an impact assessment on what this means for our town. I am calling again for a rethink on these plans and for our MP and Council Leader to make the case for East Kilbride and to do all they can to keep the jobs here. It isn’t too late for the UK Government to see sense and change course.”
Blasting the SNP MSP for political point scoring, Joani Reid MP said: “I thought the Tories were wrong to decide to close the FCDO office in East Kilbride and I remain deeply committed to securing the best possible outcome for East Kilbride and its workforce. That’s why I will be holding a meeting with senior government officials to address the uncertainty surrounding the FCDO’s plans.
“I have consistently advocated for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to retain its presence in East Kilbride, and I will continue to do so.
“I would have hoped the SNP would support me in doing that. But, as usual, they’d rather score points and play politics than get stuck in to doing what is best for the working people of East Kilbride.
“I have seen no evidence, at all, that the SNP are interested in making a reasoned case to UK government ministers. They don’t seem to care about the jobs, they just care about the publicity. What I do see suggests to me that they’d be happy to see the office close if it meant another stick to beat the UK Labour government and draw attention away from the failures of their administration in Edinburgh.
“We need something better than that. Under 14 years of the Tories and 17 years of the SNP, East Kilbride has lost too much for its people to have time for these games.”
In response to the MSP’s concerns, Councillor Joe Fagan insisted Labour have been working for “well over a year” to maximise the civil service presence in East Kilbride. He called on “all the town’s representatives” to support them.
Mr Fagan said: “Civil service jobs are part of East Kilbride’s New Town history and part of our future too. My Administration is making the case for a renewed civil service presence in the town and we are exploring a range of options with the UK Government. Thanks to the support of local MP Joani Reid, we are being heard right at the heart of government. We fully support all her efforts on behalf of the town.
“South Lanarkshire Council has held a number of meetings over the past year with the UK Government. Those meetings started with the previous government, who initiated FCDO’s move to Glasgow, and are continuing under the new government, who are engaging with us positively.
“There are a number of options for us to pursue. Obviously, the most straightforward option is just to halt the FCDO move. Others include exploring the government’s intentions around civil service jobs dispersal and securing alternative civil service roles for the town. Talks have been constructive so far and noticeably more positive since the new government was elected.”
Responding to Collette Stevenson’s criticisms of the Administration, Councillor Fagan added: “If Collette Stevenson bothered to check her facts or do her job then she would know about the case the Council is making on behalf of the town. She doesn’t get to pop up every six months to criticise those of us doing all the work when it’s been months since she’s taken any interest in the issue or lifted a finger to help. East Kilbride deserves better than that.
“I am prepared to overlook her error of judgement, if she is prepared to raise her game and work on a cross-party basis with the town’s other representatives to secure civil service jobs, just as we did to secure tax office jobs for the future.”
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