Sir Humphrey heads North

Finally, some good news. That may be the reaction of all those who have seen Yorkshire hit by the financial crisis and a subsequent slew of redundancies. The prospect of up to 14,000 new supply chain jobs being created here, by relocating parts of the civil service en masse, is a much-needed contrast to the drip-drip of redundancies seen throughout last year.

Dangling such a carrot, however, comes with responsibilities. This report, produced by Yorkshire Forward and commissioned by regional Minister Rosie Winterton, comes just a short time before the General Election, which is expected in May. Labour is facing pressure on several key marginal seats across the county and the report raises hopes of a major economic boost.

The problem is that Ms Winterton and her colleagues may not be in power to implement the switch of thousands of staff from Whitehall to Yorkshire. That's why the regional development agency (RDA) has to keep on making the case for bringing Government departments and agencies here.

Whoever wins the election will have to slash the cost of the public sector. Decentralising Government is a simple way to do this. That Yorkshire has a pool of skilled staff and low operating costs will encourage mandarins to come here, as will cheaper house prices and childcare and a thriving cultural scene. All this only adds to the logic of the plan.

Over the next 10 years Whitehall will face the sternest test of its creativity as it tries to do more with less. Relocations are an inevitable part of this – something the BBC has learnt as it plots its long-awaited move of some departments to Manchester – and Yorkshire has a track record of helping private sector employers to achieve the shift from South to North.

Bringing jobs to Yorkshire can only be a good thing. Now the RDA has to keep on working hard to make sure such a scheme is not allowed to slide after the election. For the Conservatives, accepting such a plan would prove they are serious about their commitment to this region.