The new local government body responsible for identifying financial problems in councils earlier and strengthening accountability aims to base most of its staff outside London, The MJ understands.

A Whitehall source suggested there would be a ‘particular focus' on Wolverhampton as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' (DLUHC) part of a civil service wide reform programme that will move 22,000 roles out of London before 2031.