Burnham to send high-performing civil servants to mayoral offices

The UK government has announced a new pilot scheme to transfer high-performing civil servants to mayoral offices in England, with the aim of unleashing and unlocking communities' potential.

Under the scheme, every mayoral authority will receive between five and 10 civil servants for a six-to-nine-month period. The selected candidates will be able to request specific skills from local authorities, allowing them to work together to address community needs.

The move is part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's efforts to transfer power from central government to local leaders. This follows a series of devolution deals over the past decade, which have seen mayoral authorities given greater autonomy and funding in areas such as transport and housing.

The UK government has announced a new pilot scheme to transfer high-performing civil servants to mayoral offices in England, with the aim of unleashing and unlocking communities' potential.

Under the scheme, every mayoral authority will receive between five and 10 civil servants for a six-to-nine-month period. The selected candidates will be able to request specific skills from local authorities, allowing them to work together to address community needs.

This move is part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's efforts to transfer power from central government to local leaders. This follows a series of devolution deals over the past decade, which have seen mayoral authorities given greater autonomy and funding in areas such as transport and housing.

Applications for the new Yorkshire and Humber scheme will open in October with successful candidates starting in September 2027. The Future Leaders Scheme - which provides training and support for senior civil servants - will also be opened up to those working in mayoral and local authorities.

A digital devolution programme will create a data-sharing model between central government and mayoral authorities, allowing for more efficient decision-making at the local level.

According to the most recent figures, 19.6% of civil servants are based in London and the number has been gradually decreasing for the past four years. This move is seen as part of a broader effort to reduce the numbers of roles in the capital by 12,000.

Whitehall officials offered to relocate to Manchester, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying that local authorities across the board should be given the same funding and staffing opportunities if he truly wants to grow every region in England. The new unit, overseen by senior minister Louise Haigh, has been tasked with being the 'dominant driver of the UK's economy'.

Existing article (115 words / 3 paragraphs):

The UK government has announced a new pilot scheme to transfer high-performing civil servants to mayoral offices in England, with the aim of unleashing and unlocking communities' potential.

Under the scheme, every mayoral authority will receive between five and 10 civil servants for a six-to-nine-month period. The selected candidates will be able to request specific skills from local authorities, allowing them to work together to address community needs.

This move is part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's efforts to transfer power from central government to local leaders. This follows a series of devolution deals over the

The UK government has announced a new pilot scheme to transfer high-performing civil servants to mayoral offices in England, with the aim of unleashing and unlocking communities' potential.

Under the scheme, every mayoral authority will receive between five and 10 civil servants for a six-to-nine-month period. The selected candidates will be able to request specific skills from local authorities, allowing them to work together to address community needs.

This move is part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's efforts to transfer power from central government to local leaders. This follows a series of devolution deals over the past decade, which have seen mayoral authorities given greater autonomy and funding in areas such as transport and housing.

Applications for the new Yorkshire and Humber scheme will open in October with successful candidates starting in September 2027. The Future Leaders Scheme - which provides training and support for senior civil servants - will also be opened up to those working in mayoral and local authorities.

A digital devolution programme will create a data-sharing model between central government and mayoral authorities, allowing for more efficient decision-making at the local level.

According to the most recent figures, 19.6% of civil servants are based in London and the number has been gradually decreasing for the past four years. This move is seen as part of a broader effort to reduce the numbers of roles in the capital by 12,000.

Whitehall officials offered to relocate to Manchester, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying that local authorities across the board should be given the same funding and staffing opportunities if he truly wants to grow every region in England.

The new unit, overseen by senior minister Louise Haigh, has been tasked with being the 'dominant driver of the UK's economy'.