AMN/ WEB DESK
Britain’s cabinet office will set up a “second flagship Head Quarter” in Glasgow as the government plans to move some of its operations to Scotland. The decision comes in wake of growing support for Scottish independence in recent times.
In a statement, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said that the move will strengthen the diversity of the UK civil service, and ensure that Scottish voices shape everything the government does. The statement added that the foreign office plans to create 500 new jobs at an existing office in East Kilbride, while in total 1,000 more jobs will be located in Scotland over the next four years.
Ties between Scotland and the rest of Britain have been badly strained by a much-criticised COVID-19 pandemic response and Brexit, which a majority in Scotland opposed. Scottish nationalists are pushing for an independence referendum to be held after Scottish parliament election in May, but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said such votes should happen only once in a generation. In a referendum in 2014, Scots had voted 55%-45% to remain in the United Kingdom.