Darlington appears to have won the race to host the Treasury’s Northern campus, after leaked video showed Chancellor Rishi Sunak announcing the move to staff.
Mr Sunak had announced last year that he wanted to move around half of its staff out of Whitehall to change the way the key Government department makes its decisions and alter what many perceive to be a bias towards projects in London and the South East.
It had been reported recently that the shortlist of areas to host the Northern campus had been whittled down to Darlington, Newcastle, Leeds and Bradford.
But now video has emerged online showing Mr Sunak say that he has chosen Darlington for the project and saying: “I am really excited”.
Mr Sunak’s huge Richmond constituency in North Yorkshire lies to the south of Darlington, which is on the East Coast Main Line and voted Tory at the 2019 general election.
Tees Valley’s Conservative mayor Ben Houchen had lobbied for Darlington to host the Treasury offices, having earlier pushed for a site at Teesside Airport.
He had called for Darlington to be favoured over Newcastle or Leeds, saying that a city location would not change the way the Treasury operates.
The location of the campus will be confirmed at the Budget this afternoon, with Mr Sunak also likely to make an announcement on the first sites for freeports around the UK.
Both the North East and the Tees Valley have submitted bids for freeport status - which allow businesses to set up free of normal tariffs - across multiple sites in their areas.
It has already been reported that Mr Sunak will extend the furlough scheme until the end of September and pledge to do “whatever it takes” to help people and businesses through the coronavirus crisis when he unveils his Budget.
The Chancellor is set to outline a three-point plan to support people through the coming months, rebuild the economy and fix the ravaged public finances in the wake of the pandemic.
In his statement to the Commons on Wednesday, he will build on the £280bn package of support already given by the Treasury during the crisis, with plans to extend the furlough scheme until the end of September.
